LESSONS FROM PREPAREDNESS OF HOSPITALS TO SNOWSTORMS

Ofer Merin, Sara Goldberg, Amos Peyser, Moshe Gros, Gali Weiss, Aria Bitan, Salman Zarka, Kelin Shapira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Snowstorms are not a usual scene in Israel, which normally enjoys relatively warm weather, even in the winter. In the last two years we faced three severe snowstorms that had a major impact on the routine daily life in Israel. Roads were blocked, people experienced long electricity power failures, and secondary to slippery conditions, there was more than a threefold increase of orthopedic injuries. These storms confronted hospitals with unique challenges, both medical and logistic. Hospitals must be prepared to cope with the challenge of maintaining continuation of care. We propose four phases of preparedness strategy: at the beginning of the winter, once there is a weather forecast warning, during the storm itself, and returning to norm. This manuscript deals with the lessons learned by two hospitals in Safed and Jerusalem dealing with snowstorms.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)688-91, 743
JournalHarefuah
Volume154
Issue number11
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'LESSONS FROM PREPAREDNESS OF HOSPITALS TO SNOWSTORMS'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this