HJBR Nov/Dec 2021

STORM SURGE 12 NOV / DEC 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   significant lack of communication across the board. We could not reach family mem- bers to give updates on patients and ulti- mately transfers (and this persisted even days after the storm). We were unable to consistently notify staff concerning updates to our hospital status. Waste management was an issue. We were without running water and unable to flush toilets, which caused obvious problems. This is also one of our “lessons learned” to be prepared in future plans. What was the biggest immediate need in the communities you serve after the storm? Hart Healthcare doesn’t stop due to hurri- canes; we kept our emergency rooms open and saw lots of patients in need fromCOVID and post-storm injuries. But we also had large numbers of patients coming to the hospital for things like prescription refills, oxygen and dialysis. Elder From a public health standpoint, electricity and potable water are the most important utilities post storm. Electrically dependent patients in their homes without power and those requiring hemodialysis have a limited amount of time before their situation could become dire. There is a need to quickly reopen dialysis centers and sup- ply home oxygen to those in need. Torcson Here in west St. Tammany, imme- diately after the storm, the damage was primarily from downed trees and power infrastructure, not just lines but power gen- eration infrastructure as well. At first, all that damage made roads impassable. But even as neighbors and recovery workers all fired up chainsaws and began clearing paths on major and minor roads, we still had the lack of power for quite some time. Most people who lived here for Katrina rely on genera- tor power anytime their municipal power is disrupted, and that coupled with all the vehicles requiring gasoline quickly cre- ated a shortage. We were grateful to all the industry leaders here on the Northshore that rallied their resources and contacts to help bring gasoline back to the area. Lorio Communication, emergency cell tow- ers, emergency and primary medical ser- vices, restoring the water supply and COVID services were the community’s most signifi- cant needs. Were upstream healthcare facilities in other areas able to help? Were you moving people or managing in place? Hart The week of Hurricane Ida, we facili- tated 171 transfers out of Ochsner St. Mary, Ochsner St. Anne, Chabert Medical Cen- ter and St. Charles Parish Hospital. Thirty- eight patients were transferred out of state. We moved as many patients as possible to Ochsner facilities but also worked with other health systems when needed. Being in various regions, it does allow us to move things around to different places so we can have a base of operations that can change depending on where that storm hits. This storm blew up pretty quickly, and at one point it looked more like it was going toward Baton Rouge. Then, next thing we knew, it was really moving back this way and we suddenly had to pivot back a little further east toward New Orleans and the Bayou Region. It’s nice to be able to make those kinds of changes on the fly without a lot of advanced notice. Elder LCMC Health managed all patients in place at their respective hospitals. Torcson Every hospital in the region was already at capacity due to COVID-19 when Ida hit; therefore, our focus at St. Tammany Health Systemwas very much on managing in place. We worked hard in advance, amid and post Ida to manage our patient popula- tion and our workforce to be self-contained and self-sufficient. As a fellow physician and health indus- try leader, I have to personally commend the incredible logistical coordination that went on in Lafourche Parish to transport patients from damaged facilities. The people involved in that emergency situation are to be admired and appreciated for the success of their efforts. Lorio Prior to the storm and throughout the storm itself, we were able to manage in place. Once the storm passed, we were able to assess the building for functional and available infrastructure that we needed to operate safely. This included things that are piped in from outside the facility, including water, electricity, communication towers. When we found that we had catastrophic damage, the decision was made that Terre- bonne General was unable to provide basic life safety standards, and the need for evac- uation was evident. In a race against time, our staff and physicians, along with many of our longtime partners such as Ochsner Health System, AcadianAmbulance, the U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana Hospital Alliance, AirMed and Terrebonne Parish Emergency Preparedness, stepped up to perform heroic efforts to transfer all 120 patients to other facilities across the state and into the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Following the storm, we opened an emergency walk-in clinic and partnered with Acadian Ambulance to have available ambulances transport patients who needed admission to an acute care facility. What are the primary ongoing public health challenges in Southeast Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Ida? Hart COVID and Ida delayed medical care for tens of thousands of community mem- bers. Non-emergent procedures, doctors’ visits and routine screenings have been delayed for weeks or months, which could mean later cancer diagnoses, untreated chronic conditions and more significant health issues down the road. Elder The need for outpatient hemodialysis