Rebuilding Emergency Care After Hurricane Sandy

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Lee ◽  
Silas W. Smith ◽  
Christopher M. McStay ◽  
Ian Portelli ◽  
Lewis R. Goldfrank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
New York State ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Emergency Department Utilization ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Bellevue Hospital ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Hospital Center

AbstractA freestanding, 911-receiving emergency department was implemented at Bellevue Hospital Center during the recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy to compensate for the increased volume experienced at nearby hospitals. Because inpatient services at several hospitals remained closed for months, emergency volume increased significantly. Thus, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health and other partners, the Health and Hospitals Corporation and Bellevue Hospital Center opened a freestanding emergency department without on-site inpatient care. The successful operation of this facility hinged on key partnerships with emergency medical services and nearby hospitals. Also essential was the establishment of an emergency critical care ward and a system to monitor emergency department utilization at affected hospitals. The results of this experience, we believe, can provide a model for future efforts to rebuild emergency care capacity after a natural disaster such as Hurricane Sandy. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-4)

scholarly journals A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF SENSITIZATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LESIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL PNEUMONIA IN THE RABBIT

1915 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Butler Kirkbride
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Virulent Strain ◽  
New York State ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Preliminary Treatment ◽  
Bellevue Hospital ◽  
Columbia University ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Culture Filtrates

While preliminary treatment with culture filtrates or dead cells of the extremely virulent strain A gave rise to varying degrees of immunity, the exudative lung lesions developing after tracheal injection with live organisms of the same virulent strain were not strikingly increased in any group or series of these rabbits. Despite carefully graduated dosage in the preliminary treatment, none of the animals developed symptoms of a definitely anaphylactic nature. In similar experiments following sensitization with the attenuated avirulent culture AA, tracheal injection of virulent or avirulent organisms of the same strain failed to incite any definite increase in the exudative lung reaction. In none of the rabbits were symptoms resembling anaphylaxis noted. The immunity which was induced by the larger sensitizing doses of culture filtrates of the strain in the virulent state was lacking when similar doses of the culture filtrates of organisms in the non-virulent state were used. Extensive lesions developed in both sensitized and unsensitized rabbits when the strain used in the tracheal injection was one apparently combining moderate virulence with exceptional toxicity, indicating that the exudative lung reaction was one of adjustment rather than of acquired hypersusceptibility. When, in the experiments, small amounts of sera from normal rabbits, or from animals immunized to culture filtrates, were added to the culture before tracheal injection, an increased fibrinous lung reaction was frequently found. The present study would seem to give some ground for the view that while in pneumonia a hypersensitive condition probably takes some part in the inception of the infection, the subsequent development of the diffuse exudative reaction in the lung is not directly due to an acquired hypersusceptibility, but to intrinsic qualities possessed by the pneumococcus itself. This study was carried on in the Department of Bacteriology of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, and later, through the courtesy of Dr. Charles Norris, in the Bellevue Hospital Laboratories. It was completed in the Laboratories of the New York State Department of Health at Albany. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Augustus Wadsworth for his advice and criticism.

Window of Opportunity for New Disease Surveillance: Developing Keyword Lists for Monitoring Mental Health and Injury Through Syndromic Surveillance

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Lauper ◽  
Jian-Hua Chen ◽  
Shao Lin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Syndromic Surveillance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Free Text ◽  
York State ◽  
The Impact

AbstractStudies have documented the impact that hurricanes have on mental health and injury rates before, during, and after the event. Since timely tracking of these disease patterns is crucial to disaster planning, response, and recovery, syndromic surveillance keyword filters were developed by the New York State Department of Health to study the short- and long-term impacts of Hurricane Sandy. Emergency department syndromic surveillance is recognized as a valuable tool for informing public health activities during and immediately following a disaster. Data typically consist of daily visit reports from hospital emergency departments (EDs) of basic patient data and free-text chief complaints. To develop keyword lists, comparisons were made with existing CDC categories and then integrated with lists from the New York City and New Jersey health departments in a collaborative effort. Two comprehensive lists were developed, each containing multiple subcategories and over 100 keywords for both mental health and injury. The data classifiers using these keywords were used to assess impacts of Sandy on mental health and injuries in New York State. The lists will be validated by comparing the ED chief complaint keyword with the final ICD diagnosis code. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:173–178)

scholarly journals Carbon Monoxide Poisoning during Hurricane Sandy in Affected New York State Counties

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Hua Chen ◽  
Ursula Lauper ◽  
Cristian Pantea ◽  
Shao Lin ◽  
Hwa-Gan Chang
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ◽  
New York State ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Chief Complaint ◽  
Power Outage ◽  
York State

This was a retrospective study that combined with emergency department visit chief complaint and power outage data to evaluation of carbon monoxide poisoning during hurricane Sandy in three most affected New York State counties. 

scholarly journals Using Hospital ED Data to Identify Mental Illness Trends After Hurricane Sandy

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Lauper ◽  
Cristian Pantea ◽  
Jian-Hua Chen ◽  
Hwa-Gan Chang ◽  
Shao Lin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New York State ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Chief Complaint ◽  
York State ◽  
Over Time

Emergency department chief complaint (EDCC) data provides an opportunity for capturing the early mental health impact of disaster events at the community level, and to track their impact over time. Mental health keyword lists were generated and used to conduct a study of mental health EDCCs after Hurricane Sandy in New York State. Compared with the unaffected area, the relative risk of EDCCs in the affected counties was significantly higher during the 12-day Sandy period (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31), as well as in the 1-year post-Sandy period (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.25).

New York State Public Health System Response to Hurricane Sandy: An Analysis of Survey Feedback

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asante Shipp Hilts ◽  
Stephanie Mack ◽  
Yunshu Li ◽  
Millicent Eidson ◽  
Trang Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
System Response ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Local Health ◽  
York State ◽  
Public Health Staff

AbstractObjectiveThe objective was to provide a broad spectrum of New York State and local public health staff the opportunity to contribute anonymous feedback on their own and their agencies’ preparedness and response to Hurricane Sandy, perceived challenges, and recommendations for preparedness improvement.MethodsIn 2015, 2 years after Hurricane Sandy, public health staff who worked on Hurricane Sandy response were identified and were provided a link to the anonymous survey. Quantitative analyses were used for survey ratings and qualitative content analyses were used for open-ended questions.ResultsSurveys were completed by 129 local health department (LHD) staff in 3 counties heavily impacted by Sandy (Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester) and 69 staff in the New York State Department of Health who supported the LHDs. Staff agreed that their Hurricane Sandy responsibilities were clearly defined and that they had access to adequate information to perform their jobs. Challenges were reported in the operational, communication, service interruptions, and staff categories, with LHD staff also reporting challenges with shelters.ConclusionsNew York local and state public health staff indicated that they were prepared for Hurricane Sandy. However, their feedback identified specific challenges and recommendations that can be addressed to implement improved preparedness and response strategies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:454–462)

scholarly journals Trends in emergency department utilization following common operations in New York State, 2005–2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1994-1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Brown ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Ziqi Meng ◽  
James Henderson ◽  
Justin B. Dimick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Emergency Department Utilization ◽  
York State

Vulnerability of Older Adults in Disasters: Emergency Department Utilization by Geriatric Patients After Hurricane Sandy

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidrah Malik ◽  
David C. Lee ◽  
Kelly M. Doran ◽  
Corita R. Grudzen ◽  
Justin Worthing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
Natural Disaster ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Emergency Department Utilization ◽  
Electrolyte Disorders ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectiveOlder adults are a potentially medically vulnerable population with increased mortality rates during and after disasters. To evaluate the impact of a natural disaster on this population, we performed a temporal and geospatial analysis of emergency department (ED) use by adults aged 65 years and older in New York City (NYC) following Hurricane Sandy’s landfall.MethodsWe used an all-payer claims database to analyze demographics, insurance status, geographic distribution, and health conditions for post-disaster ED visits among older adults. We compared ED patterns of use in the weeks before and after Hurricane Sandy throughout NYC and the most afflicted evacuation zones.ResultsWe found significant increases in ED utilization by older adults (and disproportionately higher in those aged ≥85 years) in the 3 weeks after Hurricane Sandy, especially in NYC evacuation zone one. Primary diagnoses with notable increases included dialysis, electrolyte disorders, and prescription refills. Secondary diagnoses highlighted homelessness and care access issues.ConclusionsOlder adults display heightened risk for worse health outcomes with increased ED visits after a disaster. Our findings suggest the need for dedicated resources and planning for older adults following a natural disaster by ensuring access to medical facilities, prescriptions, dialysis, and safe housing and by optimizing health care delivery needs to reduce the burden of chronic disease. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:184–193)

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