Database of Health Workforce Innovations
687
Mass medical evacuation: Hurricane Katrina and nursing experiences at the New Orleans airport
Most of the city's hospitals and other health care resources were destroyed or inoperable. The hurricane devastated many communities, stranding people in hospitals, shelters, homes, and nursing homes.
Seventy-two hours after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) was designated as the primary evacuation site for New Orleans. FEMA assigned 3 DMATs to set up and staff the site until more, if any, assistance would be needed.
Level 1 and 2 teams deploy with 30 to 35 members within 6 hours of activation by the federal government. The team is supplied with medical, pharmaceutical, and logistical supplies and equipment capable of providing emergency care for 250 patients a day and for 72 hours without resupply. A fully deployed team staffs 15 general positions under the following categories: Medical (nurses, doctors, and paramedics), Logistics, Communication, and Administration (see Table 2). DMATs operate under the incident command structure designated by the National Incident Management System.
Level 1 and 2 teams deploy with 30 to 35 members within 6 hours of activation by the federal government. The team is supplied with medical, pharmaceutical, and logistical supplies and equipment capable of providing emergency care for 250 patients a day and for 72 hours without resupply. A fully deployed team staffs 15 general positions under the following categories: Medical (nurses, doctors, and paramedics), Logistics, Communication, and Administration (see Table 2). DMATs operate under the incident command structure designated by the National Incident Management System.
- Solidarity staffing (eg deployments to/from other jurisdictions)
- Other
- Nurse Practitioners*
- Nurse Specialists*
- Nurses - Licensed Practical
- Nurses - Registered
- Paramedics
- Pharmacy Workers
- Physicians - Emergency
- Physicians - Intensive Care
- Physicians - Primary/Family
- Physicians - Specialists
- Other Health Care Workers
Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 storm, struck the U.S. Gulf states in late August, 2005, resulting in the most costly and second most deadly natural disaster in recent United States history. The storm and subsequent flooding due to levee failure necessitated the evacuation of 80% of the city of New Orleans' 484,674 residents.
- Critical Care
- Diagnostic Services
- Emergency Medical Services
- Hospitals
- Primary Health Care
- Public Health
- Urban/Suburban
A formal emergency response system that can be activated within 6 hours of declaration of a state of emergency
Formal Strategy
Klein KR, Nagel NE. Mass medical evacuation: Hurricane Katrina and nursing experiences at the New Orleans airport. Disaster Manag Response. 2007;5(2):56-61
Kelly R. Klein, MD
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Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center
United States
USA