Ten years after Katrina, University Medical Center New Orleans was built to withstand pretty much anything Mother Nature can throw at it, according to an article on USA Today website.
The façade of the $1.1 billion facility was designed to withstand debris flying at 200 mph. The hospital was designed to operate for seven days without access to outside electricity, water or other supplies.
The costly ways to weather-harden a facility can range from building large water-storage tanks to installing multiple utility connections and backup generators. But other changes can cost little or nothing.
University Medical Center, for instance, placed all of its emergency-department equipment on the second floor, above flood levels.
Every Detail Matters: A Patient's Story of Healing, Hope and Healthcare Facilities
Enhancing Safety at Hennepin Healthcare with a Screening System
The Landes Group Completes Acquisition of Encore Medical Center
What Managers Miss in Small and Mid-Sized Cooling Units
Preparing Healthcare Facilities for Cockroach Risks