Mass casualty incidents, or MCIs, provide a constant reminder of why hospitals need a plan in place to be able to function optimally during and after a catastrophe, according to an article on the Hospital & Health Networks Daily website.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 67 percent of American hospitals have plans in place for a range of hazards.
In contrast to most civilian physicians, the military is trained to execute emergency plans for large-scale disasters. The article uses five hospitals where recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan offered useful lessons for civilian hospitals.
• Emergency response (Who's in charge?)
• Improved hospital triage
• Maintaining hospital function
• Improved communication between health care personnel
• Practice makes perfect
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