USA: Hospitals implement quake-ready technology, teams in seismically active areas

By Jacqueline Renfrow

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Two California hospitals and one pediatric hospital in Seattle discuss how they are diversifying their communication tools, outfitting buildings with technology and running preparedness scenarios in order to implement the best possible outcome following an earthquake.

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“Healthcare organizations in seismically active areas must prepare differently as building codes are usually much more stringent and there is little to no warming to prepare for the earthquake,” William Dunne, administrative director of emergency preparedness, safety and security services for UCLA Health, told FierceHealthcare. “In California, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development monitors the construction, renovation and seismic safety of hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. State engagement allows for strict code enforcement to engage seismic risk mitigation.”

For example, California hospitals follow the Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act, requiring all hospitals be built or retrofitted to withstand major earthquakes following the big 1994 Northridge quake.

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Dunne advises that all hospitals in an earthquake-prone area make preparedness, risk mitigation and resilience part of their culture. This includes developing relationships with public safety, public works and the community at the local and state level to understand their plans and capacities, and vice versa.

On the infrastructure side, hospitals need to continually be assessing for single points of failure in utilities, communications and IT capabilities.

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