Recently, local hospitals in Rochester, New York, have been preparing for a thrilling event – the Total Solar Eclipse! This is a grand event that doesn’t happen very often, and there’s no guide on how to ensure everyone’s safety during it. So this is why hospitals have been getting ready for almost a year.
Hospitals and emergency workers are planning to care for up to 500,000 extra people in our region. David Chafetz, the team leader of Emergency Preparedness at Strong Memorial Hospital, says, “We need to be ready for a possible increase in patients. Even though there wasn’t a big rise in patients during the PGA, we would rather have too many resources than not enough.”
A major worry on the day of the eclipse is traffic. If it gets congested, health staff might have trouble getting to work, and patients needing emergency care could be delayed. Robert Johnson, the head of Emergency Preparedness for Rochester Regional Health expresses concern that high traffic on the main roads can cause diversions into areas not equipped to handle it.
To avoid too much traffic during the eclipse, hospitals are planning to discharge patients early that day. Additionally, helicopter landing zones have been set-up across the region for emergencies if traffic makes ambulance transport tough.
In case the cell signal gets weak, the hospitals have arranged for special channels and radios to communicate with emergency crews. There is focus on places where a lot of people will gather, like Innovative Field, RMSC, the Regional Market, and SUNY Brockport.
Moreover, Chafetz shares, “We expect our Brockport branch will have more patients. We’re bringing in more staff there and here at Strong. We’re even putting extra staff on standby in case we need more help.”
The advice to health staff who have to work at the hospitals on the day of the eclipse applies to everyone. Johnson advises, “Think of it as preparing for a winter storm. If stuck in traffic, ensure you have crucial supplies like medicine, food, and maybe a book for entertainment.”
Lastly, health providers have not been asked to avoid scheduling regular appointments on the afternoon of the eclipse. However, as the region is recently back from spring break, it’s expected the patient volume will be a little less than regular days.
Vocabulary List:
- Preparedness (noun): The state of being ready or prepared.
- Resources (noun): Available means that can be used to accomplish a task.
- Congested (adjective): Blocked up with or too full of somethingin particular traffic.
- Diversions (noun): Routes used to avoid congestion or an obstruction.
- Discharge (verb): To release or allow to leave.
- Standby (noun): Ready for immediate use or action.
