Today’s hospitals must be ready for everything. Whether it means complying with the 250 yard rule, or dealing with a regional or national disaster, or, as has been made so painfully clear, managing the patient surge generated by a national pandemic like COVID, hospitals must be prepared. Unfortunately, disaster can take many forms: earthquakes, floods, disease, and acts of terrorism are just a few. Since there is no such thing as a “normal disaster,” hospitals must be prepared to handle anything the world throws at them. In this article, we will discuss four obstacles a hospital can face when a disaster strikes:
