Enhancing prioritized power restoration for hospitals and other critical healthcare facilities is a core focus for Powered for Patients. This work took on greater urgency in 2017 when Hurricane Irma knocked power out to millions of customers in Florida, including the Hollywood Hills Nursing Home where 12 patients died after power loss knocked out the facility’s air conditioning system.
This tragic incident underscores the importance of ensuring that healthcare facilities understand the protocols to be followed to protect patient safety in the absence of utility power or emergency power. The avoidable deaths have also prompted an important discussion around prioritized power restoration for healthcare facilities and the special communications protocols that are needed between healthcare facilities, utilities and government when emergencies arise during power outages that threaten patient safety. Powered for Patients looks forward to providing leadership in advancing these important discussions.
Against the backdrop of discussions arising from the Hollywood Hills Nursing Home tragedy, Powered for Patients looks forward to taking part in national discussions with utility trade associations and their members about best practices relating to prioritized restoration for critical healthcare facilities.
The ultimate goal of Powered for Patient’s work in this area is determining the steps that can be taken to enhance the prioritized restoration process through greater coordination among all stakeholders including government officials, utilities and healthcare facility operators.