title: Disaster preparedness pays off.
abstract: Last spring, the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota was devastated by an unprecedented flood. Flooding caused foundations to collapse and houses to float away or become severely damaged by the raging, sewage-filled water. The river displaced people from their homes, and caused significant disruption of services including water, power, and medical care for 18 days. Find out how a medical contingency plan enabled staff members at the only trauma center and the largest clinic in the region to evacuate safely and effectively nearly 1,000 patients and senior residents in 36 hours, while setting up critical services across the region to care for the 50,000 displaced residents of the flood disaster.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Services Division, Altru Health System, Grand Forks, ND, USA. mreed@medpark.grand-forks.nd.us
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004190:Disasters / Q000191:economics; D004630:Emergencies; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008910:Minnesota; D009658:North Dakota; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration