Rishi K Sood1, Angelica Bocour2, Supriya Kumar3, Hasan Guclu4, Margaret Potter4, Tanya B Shah5. 1. 1Bureau of Primary Care Access and Planning,New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,Long Island City,New York. 2. 2Bureau of Communicable Disease,New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,Long Island City,New York. 3. 3Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences,Graduate School of Public HealthUniversity of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. 4. 4Department of Health Policy and Management,Graduate School of Public HealthUniversity of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. 5. 5The Commonwealth Fund,New York,New York.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Assess Hurricane Sandy's impact on primary care providers' services in the Rockaways. METHODS: In-person surveys were conducted in 2014. A list of 46 health care sites in the area of interest was compiled and each site was called to offer participation in our survey. Respondents included physicians and practice administrators who remained familiar with Sandy-related operational challenges. RESULTS: Of the 40 sites that opted in, most had been in their current location for more than 10 years (73%) and were a small practice (1 or 2 physicians) before Hurricane Sandy (75%). All but 2 (95%) had to temporarily close or relocate. All sites experienced electrical problems that impacted landline, fax, and Internet. Less than one-quarter (n = 9) reported having a plan for continuity of services before Hurricane Sandy, and 43% reported having a plan poststorm. The majority (80%) did not report coordinating with other primary care stakeholders or receiving support from government agencies during the Sandy response. CONCLUSIONS: Hurricane Sandy significantly disrupted access to primary care in the Rockaways. Severe impact to site operations and infrastructure forced many practices to relocate. Greater emergency response and recovery planning is needed, including with government agencies, to minimize disruptions of access to primary care during disaster recovery. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:492-495).
OBJECTIVE: Assess Hurricane Sandy's impact on primary care providers' services in the Rockaways. METHODS: In-person surveys were conducted in 2014. A list of 46 health care sites in the area of interest was compiled and each site was called to offer participation in our survey. Respondents included physicians and practice administrators who remained familiar with Sandy-related operational challenges. RESULTS: Of the 40 sites that opted in, most had been in their current location for more than 10 years (73%) and were a small practice (1 or 2 physicians) before Hurricane Sandy (75%). All but 2 (95%) had to temporarily close or relocate. All sites experienced electrical problems that impacted landline, fax, and Internet. Less than one-quarter (n = 9) reported having a plan for continuity of services before Hurricane Sandy, and 43% reported having a plan poststorm. The majority (80%) did not report coordinating with other primary care stakeholders or receiving support from government agencies during the Sandy response. CONCLUSIONS: Hurricane Sandy significantly disrupted access to primary care in the Rockaways. Severe impact to site operations and infrastructure forced many practices to relocate. Greater emergency response and recovery planning is needed, including with government agencies, to minimize disruptions of access to primary care during disaster recovery. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:492-495).
Entities:
Keywords:
Sandy; disaster planning; hurricane; primary care access; superstorm
Authors: Eric S Toner; Meghan McGinty; Monica Schoch-Spana; Dale A Rose; Matthew Watson; Erin Echols; Eric G Carbone Journal: Health Secur Date: 2017 Jan/Feb
Authors: Suzanne Phibbs; Christine Kenney; Graciela Rivera-Munoz; Thomas J Huggins; Christina Severinsen; Bruce Curtis Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2018-05-04 Impact factor: 3.390