title: Deployable, portable, and temporary hospitals; one state's experiences through the years.
abstract: This article will review the use of temporary hospitals to augment the healthcare system as one solution for dealing with a surge of patients related to war, pandemic disease outbreaks, or natural disaster. The experiences highlighted in this article are those of North Carolina (NC) over the past 150 years, with a special focus on the need following the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks. It will also discuss the development of a temporary hospital system from concept to deployment, highlight recent developments, emphasize the need to learn from past experiences, and offer potential solutions for assuring program sustainability. Historically, when a particular situation called for a temporary hospital, one was created, but it was usually specific for the event and then dismantled. As with the case with many historical events, the details of the 9/11 attacks will fade into memory, and there is a concern that the impetus which created the current temporary hospital program may fade, as well. By developing a broader and more comprehensive approach to disaster responses through all-hazards preparedness, it is reasonable to learn from these past experiences, improve the understanding of current threats, and develop a long-term strategy to sustain these resources for future disaster medical needs.
authors.affiliation: Administrator, EMS Performance Improvement Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Program Director, North Carolina Burn Disaster Program, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Randy D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kearns
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Preparedness Response and Recovery Program Manager, North Carolina Office of EMS, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Skarote
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Preparedness Response and Recovery Operations Manager, North Carolina Office of EMS, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Medical Advisor, North Carolina State Medical Response System, National Mobile Disaster Hospital, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Lew
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stringer
authors.affiliation: Medical Advisor, North Carolina State Medical Response System, Raleigh, North Carolina; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Roy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Alson
authors.affiliation: Director North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, John Stackhouse Distinguished Professor of Surgery/ Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.affiliation: Professor and Director, Emergency Medical Care Program, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hubble
authors.affiliation: Professor of Surgery and Chief, Trauma, Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response/OEM Director, Regional Deputy Chief Medical Officer/NDMS, United States Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Preston B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.affiliation: Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Director, Wake Forest Baptist Health Burn Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Lead Regional Deputy Chief Medical Officer, National Disaster Medical System, United States Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Siler
authors.affiliation: North Carolina Office of EMS, Raleigh, North Carolina; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winslow
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense / Q000266:history*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000266:history*; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000266:history*; D009657:North Carolina