Modeling Evacuation of a Hospital without Electric Power.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Preparedness
• Systems Engineering

Background:

• Hospital evacuations during infrastructure outages are complex and demanding.
• Loss of critical infrastructure services can trigger cascading management challenges.
• Maintaining patient care during disruptions is a primary hospital mission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a modeling case study of the 2001 Memorial Hermann Hospital evacuation.
• To present a model for tracking cascading events after infrastructure loss.
• To identify resources and adaptations needed for patient care and evacuation.

Main Methods:

• Developed a model to track cascading events following infrastructure service loss.
• Assessed the hospital's capacity to provide adequate patient care during disruptions.
• Evaluated the model's ability to recreate the timeline of an actual hospital evacuation.

Main Results:

• The model successfully recreated the timeline of the 2001 Memorial Hermann Hospital evacuation.
• Model outputs can inform evacuation planning and timing decisions.
• The model identifies necessary staff, resources, and operational adaptations.

Conclusions:

• Modeling is a valuable tool for understanding and planning for hospital evacuations during infrastructure outages.
• The developed model can support critical decision-making for patient care and resource allocation.
• Effective planning is essential for maintaining patient care continuity during emergencies.