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Deployable, portable, and temporary hospitals; one state's experiences through the years
Journal article   Peer reviewed

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

Randy D Kearns, Mary Beth Skarote, Jeff Peterson, Lew Stringer, Roy L Alson, Bruce A Cairns, Michael W Hubble, Preston B Rich, Charles B Cairns, James H Holmes, …
American journal of disaster medicine, v 9(3), pp 195-210
2014
PMID: 25348385

Abstract

Civil Defense - history Emergency Medical Services - history History, 19th Century History, 20th Century History, 21st Century Hospitals, Military - history Humans Mass Casualty Incidents - history Mobile Health Units - history North Carolina
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.

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