The 2019 North Atlantic Coastal Storm Season officially begins June 1, with the greatest potential for storms in our region from August through October. If a coastal storm is expected in the New York region, GNYHA will send all members e-mails with forecast information, government agency planning actions, and contact information for GNYHA staff. GNYHA will also update and maintain its Weather-Related Events page on the GNYHA website.
For facilities located outside of evacuation zones, patient surge planning should include receiving patients from evacuating health care facilities, as well as medically vulnerable community members living in evacuation zones. Based on current operational plans, such community members could be brought to a hospital during the pre-event phase or post-event, so hospital patient surge plans should account for both.
Resources that may be helpful with surge planning include the New York State Department of Health (DOH) Healthcare Facility Evacuation Center Metropolitan Area Regional Office Facility Guidance Document for the 2019 Coastal Storm Season, which can be accessed via the DOH Health Commerce System. Additionally, members are encouraged to review the Patient Evacuation Toolkit, which includes numerous resources for bed matching and transportation needs developed via a collaborative workgroup process, and the NYC Coastal Storm Operations Overview, which describes planning assumptions, and citywide operations and timelines.
This document details the NYC sheltering system, including Special Medical Needs Shelters, NYC’s Homebound Evacuation Operation, and Post-Emergency Canvassing Operation.