Hospitals in Florence’s path work to ensure care available to all in need

Hurricane Florence made landfall this morning along the North Carolina coast, where hospitals were anticipating additional traffic to emergency departments and potential admissions of injured and medically fragile individuals. “Our member hospitals and health systems in the projected path of the storm are working closely with their local emergency management agencies and the state to ensure care is available to all who need it during and after the storm,” North Carolina Healthcare Association President Steve Lawler said yesterday. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights yesterday issued guidance to help emergency officials address the needs of at-risk populations during the disaster response. HHS also has declared public health emergencies in North and South Carolina and Virginia, and waived or modified certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements to give providers and suppliers greater flexibility to meet emergency health needs. For additional hurricane preparedness resources, visit www.phe.gov. NCHA and the South Carolina Hospital Association also are providing regular updates at www.ncha.org and www.scha.org.