California blackouts shine light on healthcare system's vulnerability

Healthcare today is built on the assumption of steady power


A survey during a recent power outage in California revealed that only 44 percent of the state’s community health centers have a back-up energy source, according to an article on the Direct Relief website.

Even clinics that had back-up generators found they didn’t provide enough power to operate all their systems. 

Modern healthcare is almost entirely dependent on availability of electricity. For instance, electronic health records means little or no patient health information may be available if local power or data transmission fail.

Plus, 97 percent of health centers have medications on site requiring refrigeration. 

Read the article.



October 25, 2019


Topic Area: Energy and Power


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