Chair File: Hospital Teams Are Ready for Any Emergency

At every hour of every day, people across the U.S. count on their local hospital. 

For many people, emergencies happen without warning — a heart attack, stroke, serious injury or complicated illness. In those moments, it’s comforting to know skilled, dedicated hospital teams are already there, ready to help. What our patients often don’t see is the detailed, organized preparation that makes that readiness possible. 

Across the country, hospitals and health systems train year-round for situations we all hope don’t happen but know far too well do. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, mass casualty events and other public health emergencies require hospitals to respond quickly, coordinate across multiple organizations and continue caring for patients under incredibly challenging circumstances. 

That work doesn’t begin when a storm appears on the radar or when a crisis makes headlines. It begins months and years beforehand through planning, training, drills and coordination. Hospital teams prepare for patient surges, improve supply chains, coordinate with emergency responders and develop contingency plans so they can continue serving their communities when they are needed most.

And time and again, they rise to the occasion. We’ve seen hospitals safely move patients ahead of major storms, care for communities affected by devastating natural disasters and respond with incredible resilience during public health crises. Behind every response is a physician, nurse, technician, food and nutrition services team member, facilities employee and countless others who bring compassion and calm to situations that can be anything but. 

Hospitals and health system employees have a lot to prepare for and often do so by learning from their peers. Through resources shared by the American Hospital Association, including webinars, podcasts, case studies and peer-to-peer collaboration, healthcare leaders exchange lessons learned and innovative approaches to preparedness. Those shared experiences help strengthen the readiness of hospitals and health systems nationwide.

If you're interested in learning more, I encourage you to visit the AHA's emergency preparedness and disaster response resource hub for tools and information on crisis leadership, medical surge planning, supply chain resilience and hospital readiness.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful to the people who make this work possible. While many of us gather with family and friends, thousands of hospital team members will spend the holiday caring for patients, responding to emergencies and ensuring their communities have access to care whenever it is needed.

To all those serving in hospitals and health systems across our nation: thank you. Your commitment, compassion and professionalism make a difference every day. Patients and families may never see the countless hours of preparation behind your work, but they experience its impact when they need you most. And because of you, communities across the country can have confidence that their hospitals are ready when it matters most.