Military offers lessons for dealing with mass casualties

Iraq and Afghanistan show five ways hospitals can prepare for attacks, disasters


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

Read the article.

 



September 17, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Cleanliness in Hospitals: Clinical Priority and Community Perception

EVS managers and communities value cleanliness for complementary reasons: managers for safety and compliance, communities for trust and comfort.


Dana-Farber Receives $50M Gift for Planned Cancer Hospital

A $50 million grant from the Yawkey Foundation will support construction of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s planned 450,000-square-foot cancer hospital.


Clarinda Regional Health Center Reports Data Security Incident

On or around December 15, 2025, Clarinda learned that certain data within its network may have been accessed without authorization.


Gaps in Nurses' Environmental Cleaning Knowledge Grow Amid Rising EVS Pressures

Environmental cleaning is crucial in preventing HAIs, but when the responsibility falls to those outside of EVS teams, problems arise. 


Ground Broken on the Southern Nevada Forensic Facility

Construction on the new secure forensic psychiatric hospital is expected to be completed in 2029.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.