TY - JOUR
T1 - Alternate site surge capacity in times of public health disaster maintains trauma center and emergency department integrity
T2 - Hurricane Katrina
AU - Eastman, Alexander
AU - Rinnert, Kathy J
AU - Nemeth, Ira R.
AU - Fowler, Raymond L
AU - Minei, Joseph P
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - BACKGROUND: Hospital surge capacity has been advocated to accommodate large increases in demand for healthcare; however, existing urban trauma centers and emergency departments (TC/EDs) face barriers to providing timely care even at baseline patient volumes. The purpose of this study is to describe how alternate-site medical surge capacity absorbed large patient volumes while minimizing impact on routine TC/ED operations immediately after Hurricane Katrina. METHODS: From September 1 to 16, 2005, an alternate site for medical care was established. Using an off-site space, the Dallas Convention Center Medical Unit (DCCMU) was established to meet the increased demand for care. Data were collected and compared with TC/ED patient volumes to assess impact on existing facilities. RESULTS: During the study period, 23,231 persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina were registered to receive evacuee services in the City of Dallas, Texas. From those displaced, 10,367 visits for emergent or urgent healthcare were seen at the DCCMU. The mean number of daily visits (mean ± SD) to the DCCMU was 619 ± 301 visits with a peak on day 3 (n = 1,125). No patients died, 3.2% (n = 257) were observed in the DCCMU, and only 2.9% (n = 236) required transport to a TC/ED. During the same period, the mean number of TC/ED visits at the region's primary provider of indigent care (Hospital 1) was 346 ± 36 visits. Using historical data from Hospital 1 during the same period of time (341 ± 41), there was no significant difference in the mean number of TC/ED visits from the previous year (p = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Alternate-site medical surge capacity provides for safe and effective delivery of care to a large influx of patients seeking urgent and emergent care. This protects the integrity of existing public hospital TC/ED infrastructure and ongoing operations.
AB - BACKGROUND: Hospital surge capacity has been advocated to accommodate large increases in demand for healthcare; however, existing urban trauma centers and emergency departments (TC/EDs) face barriers to providing timely care even at baseline patient volumes. The purpose of this study is to describe how alternate-site medical surge capacity absorbed large patient volumes while minimizing impact on routine TC/ED operations immediately after Hurricane Katrina. METHODS: From September 1 to 16, 2005, an alternate site for medical care was established. Using an off-site space, the Dallas Convention Center Medical Unit (DCCMU) was established to meet the increased demand for care. Data were collected and compared with TC/ED patient volumes to assess impact on existing facilities. RESULTS: During the study period, 23,231 persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina were registered to receive evacuee services in the City of Dallas, Texas. From those displaced, 10,367 visits for emergent or urgent healthcare were seen at the DCCMU. The mean number of daily visits (mean ± SD) to the DCCMU was 619 ± 301 visits with a peak on day 3 (n = 1,125). No patients died, 3.2% (n = 257) were observed in the DCCMU, and only 2.9% (n = 236) required transport to a TC/ED. During the same period, the mean number of TC/ED visits at the region's primary provider of indigent care (Hospital 1) was 346 ± 36 visits. Using historical data from Hospital 1 during the same period of time (341 ± 41), there was no significant difference in the mean number of TC/ED visits from the previous year (p = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Alternate-site medical surge capacity provides for safe and effective delivery of care to a large influx of patients seeking urgent and emergent care. This protects the integrity of existing public hospital TC/ED infrastructure and ongoing operations.
KW - Disaster management
KW - Emergency medical services
KW - Prehospital care
KW - Public health
KW - Surge capacity
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U2 - 10.1097/TA.0b013e3180d0a70e
DO - 10.1097/TA.0b013e3180d0a70e
M3 - Article
C2 - 17693820
AN - SCOPUS:34547924174
SN - 0022-5282
VL - 63
SP - 253
EP - 257
JO - Journal of Trauma - Injury, Infection and Critical Care
JF - Journal of Trauma - Injury, Infection and Critical Care
IS - 2
ER -