Fires Shine Light On Health System’s Vulnerabilities
“It’s going to happen again. There’s going to be another fire, there’s going to be another earthquake, there’s going to be another flood and ... we absolutely have to get better at this,” said Chad Krilich, chief medical officer for St. Joseph Health in Sonoma County.
Los Angeles Times:
Wildfires Stressed The Wine Country's Healthcare System, Creating A Crisis And A Warning For Future
The Northern California wildfires created what some described as an unprecedented healthcare crisis that has served as a wake-up call in the region. Not only were two major hospitals evacuated hours into the disaster, but the chaos continued for days after. Thousands of people were displaced and staying in shelters, many without their medicines. The fires left clinics burned, or evacuated for days. Pharmacies struggled to fill prescriptions. Nursing home patients waited on cots in shelters, without oxygen tanks or their caregivers. Doctors and nurses also lost their homes. (Karlamangla, 10/18)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sutter Hospital In Santa Rosa Reopens Eight Days After Being Closed By Firestorm
The smell of smoke, though faint, could still be detected Tuesday morning inside Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital as medical staff opened the doors to patients for the first time since the Tubbs fire forced the hospital to evacuate eight days ago. Everything — the walls, floors, medical equipment, patient scheduling screens — looked spotless, as it did when the hospital opened for the first time just three years ago. Though many had been working at other health care locations and local evacuation centers since the fire, Sutter medical and administrative staff said they were thrilled to be back at work Tuesday morning. (Espinoza, 10/17)