The new New Orleans VA hospital was designed to be disaster resistant because healthcare design is evolving to deal with worsening weather events, according to an article on the Fast Company website.
Hurricane Katrina revealed the vulnerabilities of the area's healthcare facilities. In the New Orleans area, seven of 16 hospitals with acute care centers remained closed two years after the storm, the article said.
The new VA hospital's perimeter can withstand category three storms and the walls are hardened to resist blasts, ballistic assaults, and ramming.
The emergency room is on the second floor and vehicles access it via a ramp that also doubles as a boat launch.
How Health Systems Are Rethinking Facilities Amid Margin Pressure
Ground Broken on New Medical Office Building in Scottsdale, AZ
University of Texas Gifted $100M for New Medical Center
Beyond Backup Generators: Building Layered Energy Resilience
Shannon Health System to Acquire Scenic Mountain Medical Center