Deployable, portable, and temporary hospitals; one state's experiences through the years

Abstract

This article will review the use of temporary hospitals to augment the healthcare system as one solution for dealing with a surge of patients related to war, pandemic disease outbreaks, or natural disaster. The experiences highlighted in this article are those of North Carolina (NC) over the past 150 years, with a special focus on the need following the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks. It will also discuss the development of a temporary hospital system from concept to deployment, highlight recent developments, emphasize the need to learn from past experiences, and offer potential solutions for assuring program sustainability. Historically, when a particular situation called for a temporary hospital, one was created, but it was usually specific for the event and then dismantled. As with the case with many historical events, the details of the 9/11 attacks will fade into memory, and there is a concern that the impetus which created the current temporary hospital program may fade, as well. By developing a broader and more comprehensive approach to disaster responses through all-hazards preparedness, it is reasonable to learn from these past experiences, improve the understanding of current threats, and develop a long-term strategy to sustain these resources for future disaster medical needs.

Improving Disaster Response Efforts Through the Development of a Disaster Health Care Response System

“…7 The culmination of the North Carolina SMRS development process was its initial deployment to Waveland, Mississippi, on September 4, 2005, in support of the state of Mississippi following the impact of Hurricane Katrina. 8 In 2006, NCOEMS welcomed public health and health care leaders from Mississippi to visit North Carolina and observe an SMRS field exercise. The visit sparked a collaboration between the 2 states' key response leaders with the North Carolina SMRS serving as the template for the creation of an SMRS in Mississippi.…”

“…During this time, NCOEMS purchased much of the initial equipment and developed a system of host facilities for the SMRS program assets, all of which were placed at established trauma centers 7 . The culmination of the North Carolina SMRS development process was its initial deployment to Waveland, Mississippi, on September 4, 2005, in support of the state of Mississippi following the impact of Hurricane Katrina 8 …”

Development and Implementation of an Alternate Care Site During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In recent history, specifically with the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, the deployment of surge medical facilities and their importance in improving the provision of crisis care became relevant [ 2 , 3 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a similar threat of overwhelming healthcare resources.…”