In 2017, as the Tubbs Fire made its dramatic and rapid assault on Santa Rosa, California, our doctors, nurses, and support staff faced the unimaginable task of evacuating the hospital. It was a job that many, if not most, of them never imagined doing in their careers. And yet, again this fall, wildfire threatened the facility. As the Kincade Fire made a slower — though no less deliberate — approach, our staff again halted surgeries, labor deliveries, and more and packed up patients. Both times we safely evacuated more than 120 patients and ensured care continuity under extreme duress.
How Kaiser Permanente Prepares for Disasters
Lessons from two devastating California wildfires.
December 26, 2019
Summary.
The reality is that the risks hospitals face today are different than what they imagined a decade ago – and that a rapidly changing climate poses yet unforeseeable hazards for the future. In Santa Rosa, California, Kaiser Permanente has learned from evacuating under the threat of wildfire twice in the past two years. From these experiences, they’ve built systems and solutions that health care systems anywhere can learn from, including conducting a system-wide bed availability assessment, controlling patient transfer prior to mandatory evacuation, preparing for patient evacuation early, and using an evacuation toolkit including a tracking system.
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