Database of Health Workforce Innovations
701
Supporting Staff Through a Complete Hospital Evacuation and Extended Displacement Period
The hospital's patients were evacuated prior to the storm making landfall. All outpatient services were closed for 5 months and the hospital was closed for 8 months. More than 1,500 inpatient and outpatient staff were deployed to other facilities in the region for as long as the hospital remained closed.
This was the first time the hospital had to coordinate an extended deployment of staff to other regional facilities. In order to support their workforce during the acute and extended displacement periods, NYHHCS took multiple actions:
Acute phase
- temporary shelter for employees
- inpatient staff transferred to other locations with their patients.
- paid leave was given for five days following the storm due to disrupted public transportation.
Displacement phase
- shuttle service was established to help transport staff to the alternative deployment site in Brooklyn
- staff greatly affected by the storm were allowed up to 30 days paid leave
- an employee assistance program was made available within two weeks after the storm.
Acute phase
- temporary shelter for employees
- inpatient staff transferred to other locations with their patients.
- paid leave was given for five days following the storm due to disrupted public transportation.
Displacement phase
- shuttle service was established to help transport staff to the alternative deployment site in Brooklyn
- staff greatly affected by the storm were allowed up to 30 days paid leave
- an employee assistance program was made available within two weeks after the storm.
- Cross-sector staff deployments
- Alternative deployments for health workers whose normal duties are temporarily suspended
- Cross-sector deployment
- Housing for front-line workers
- Home support for front-line workers
- Other
- Community Health Workers
- Medical Imaging Workers
- Medical Laboratory Technologists
- Mental Health Workers
- Midwives
- Military Health Workers
- Non-traditional Health Workers
- Nurse Practitioners*
- Nurse Specialists*
- Nurses - Licensed Practical
- Nurses - Registered
- Occupational Therapists
- Paramedics
- Pharmacy Workers
- Physical Therapists
- Physicians - Emergency
- Physicians - Intensive Care
- Physicians - Primary/Family
- Physicians - Specialists
- Public Health Workers
- Respiratory Therapists
- Social Workers
- Speech/Language Pathologists
- Other Health Care Workers
Superstorm Sandy hit the northeastern seabord of the United States in October 2012 and caused billions of dollars in damage. Five acute care hospitals in Manhattan required evacuation including the New York Harbor Health Care System (NYHHS) VA hospital.
- Critical Care
- Diagnostic Services
- Emergency Medical Services
- Hospitals
- Mental Health Services
- Urban/Suburban
Informal Strategy
Wyte-Lake, T., Griffin, A. R., & Dobalian, A. (2018). Supporting Staff Through a Complete Hospital Evacuation and Extended Displacement Period. Journal of healthcare management / American College of Healthcare Executives, 63(3), 195–209.
Tamar Wyte-Lake
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Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), Office of Patient Care Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
United States
USA