Keywords

Disaster response, Emergency, Hurricane Katrina

 

Authors

  1. Joy, Theresa L. RN, BSN, CEN
  2. Kemp, Heather N. MBA

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Displaced evacuees from the Hurricane Katrina Disaster were sent to Indianapolis requiring a disaster response system activation. Throughout the entire disaster response period, there were a total of 80 disaster patients seen in the Wishard emergency department, 1,508 prescriptions filled for 300 patients by the Wishard pharmacy, and 125 patients treated at the outpatient disaster clinic. This article reviews the incident timeline, discuss the unique challenges encountered during the protracted incident command, and provide suggestions for other health systems' management for disasters and emergency situations.