Disaster preparedness. Ready for earth, air, fire and water (and who knows what else)?

Already the 1990s might be described as a decade of disasters: From the devastation of hurricanes on the East Coast to the havoc of floods in the Midwest to the destruction of earthquakes and civil unrest on the West Coast, the past few years clearly show that disasters can strike anywhere--and at any time. For health facilities caught in the middle of these crises, emergency preparedness means much more than just meeting the basic requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or complying with state and local regulations. Rather, for most health facilities, preparing for disasters is an integral part of ensuring that they can continue to provide adequate, high-quality patient care under almost any circumstances. This report, the first in a series of articles, examines how health facility managers coped once they found themselves in the midst of major disasters, what lessons they learned about emergency preparedness as a result of their experiences, and what others can learn from these difficult situations.