AT THE
READY Emergency Preparation and Response for Healthcare Facilities Gary Feit, MS, vice president, corporate communications, Innovatix
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n 2017, as a succession of hurricanes made landfall in the U.S., emergency preparation and response dominated the news. Scenes of rescues from submerged homes, entire towns without power, and widespread wind damage dramatically emphasized the need to plan for natural and manmade disasters. During this time, the senior living industry received some of the greatest scrutiny. In midSeptember, following the landfall of Hurricane Irma, eight residents of a skilled nursing facility in Hollywood, FL died after the building lost power for an extended period, and residents endured sweltering 90+ degree heat. The incident made national news, as articles in the New York Times and discussions on cable news shows sparked widespread outrage.1
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Insight