Dive Brief:
- In recognition of the fact that hospitals are among the first line of defense for populations hit by floods, droughts, hurricanes and a myriad of climate-change generated conditions, the White House has released new guidelines for hospitals to handle the unique challenges of climate change.
- Endorsed by healthcare industry leaders who met for a summit at the White House on Monday, the report—Primary Protection: Enhancing Health Care Resilience For a Changing Climate—is meant to prepare hospitals for when the worst happens.
- The new guidelines include, but are not limited to, the following: Moving emergency departments away from areas more likely to flood in heavy downpours; Creating contingency plans to maintain electrical and water supplies, even if the power is cut or the water supply is contaminated; and working with local governments on road plans to weather-proof transportation and access to hospitals, even in emergency conditions.
Dive Insight:
This was no typical government report that cost millions of dollars to state the obvious. There is a reason why organizations like the Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, the American Hospital Association and Inova Health System were present at this summit, according to USA Today.
They have seen the damage done by Hurricane Sandy, a storm that underscored the reality of climate change. When a hurricane bypasses Florida completely and dive-bombs New York and New Jersey, there's something more at work than a glitch. And when more of those storms and non-traditional weather patterns emerge, hospitals will need to be prepared in ways they never thought possible or necessary before.
This report is reasonably comprehensive, but it's only the start of an infrastructure overhaul that will take years, perhaps decades, to complete. Sandy was the harbinger of what's to come, so it's time for hospital executives and local government to start taking these threats as seriously as the White House. When the next Sandy comes knocking, it will be too late.
Building or rebuilding hospitals to better prepare them for extreme weather events has already started, with FEMA issuing a $1.2 billion grant to four New York area hospitals affected by Hurricane Sandy.