This GOES-16 sycophant image taken Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at 14:20 UTC and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Gale Dorian, right, moving over open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
NOAA via AP
Some of the nation’s largest investor-owned medical centres are working to gather supplies and prepare for Hurricane Dorian, which is rapidly approaching the Florida coast as a potentially incisive Category 4 storm.
Hospitals, which have backup generators, play a crucial role during hurricanes, state look after emergency medical assistance and shelter.
About 29% of hospital operator Tenet Healthcare’s acute-care beds are in the road of the storm, according to a research note Thursday from Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel, who covers managed sadness and health-care facilities. That’s followed by HCA Healthcare, the largest investor-owned hospital operator in the U.S., with about 12% of its beds in the raise the roof’s path. More than 3% of Universal Health Services’ beds are in its path.
Universal Health Services phrased it is closely monitoring the storm and working to ensure appropriate preparations are made, including stocking up on food, water, linens, diesel nutriment, medications and staffing. The company plans to post updates through its website and social media pages.
“If evacuation orders are call oned in the areas in which we have facilities, we will comply with those orders. We will ensure the safety of our patients and stick by temporarily relocating them to other appropriate facilities in safe areas,” UHS spokesperson Jane Crawford said in a expression.
A spokesperson for HCA said the company is providing support to its hospitals that may be in the path of the storm.
“Our preparedness activities include guaranteeing our hospitals have enough staff, medications, supplies, food, water and a generator power to continue to operate and woe for our patients during and after the storm,” HCA said.
Tenet Healthcare was not immediately available for comment.
Hurricanes can be costly to medical centre networks. Damage from hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas, Florida and Louisiana in 2017, for example, cost HCA an estimated $140 million previous to insurance claims, according to the company’s quarterly earnings reports.
Shares of HCA and Universal Health Services rose Thursday, each up sundry than 1% in early afternoon trading. Tenet Healthcare was up nearly 3%.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Thursday that Dorian was needed to hit the U.S. mainland late Sunday or early Monday, somewhere between the Florida Keys and southern Georgia. The storm is predicted to pack 130 mph winds. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency throughout the state on Thursday afternoon.
Peer at: Hurricane Dorian heads for Florida over Labor Day weekend