Hurricane Helene: Florida hospitals braced for the storm

Florida hospitals are bracing for Hurricane Helene, and some systems have transferred patients, closed clinics, and in a few cases, evacuated facilities.

The National Weather Service projects that Hurricane Helene may bring catastrophic winds and life threatening storm surges to Florida. Some of the state's hospitals have transferred patients and closed clinics, and a few have evacuated.

Hospitals and health systems have been tracking the storm for days, and the National Hurricane Center is projecting Helene will hit Florida’s “Big Bend” region late Thursday. The center said Helene could be a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of at least 130 miles per hour, when it strikes Florida.

“Helene is expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening,” the center said.

In addition to catastrophic winds, the center also warned of “life threatening” storm surges along much of Florida’s west coast.

At least six Florida hospitals had evacuated as of Wednesday night, said Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association.

Mayhew told Chief Healthcare Executive® Wednesday night that she’s very concerned about the storm’s potential damage to such a wide swath of the state.

“It really is the sheer size, and given the concern about the wind speed, the prolonged loss of power, combined with the flooding … we just haven't experienced anything of that nature in a long time,” Mayhew said. “That is a little unpredictable given the sheer scope of the storm and how much of Florida may be impacted. Combined with the wind and the flooding, that's my biggest concern.”

Hospitals and health systems in Florida are accustomed to dealing with hurricanes, but the size of Helene poses added difficulties, Mayhew said.

“When you've got nearly the entire state under some kind of a warning, either a tropical storm warning or a hurricane warning, that just compounds the situation,” Mayhew said. “You can't move patients from the west coast of Florida now to necessarily the east coast, if the entire state is at risk.”

‘Insult to injury’

While many areas of Florida are facing the threat of storm surge or powerful winds, Mayhew said she’s worried about the Big Bend, which is where Helene is expected to make landfall.

Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, said she's worried about the potential impact of Hurricane Helene, which threatens much of Florida's west coast.

The Big Bend area has endured a number of storms over the past 18 months, Mayhew noted.

“They're just recovering from some of the more recent storms,” she said. “This is just adding insult to injury.”

Much of the ground along Florida’s coast is already saturated, and some of the state’s rivers are prone to significant flooding, Mayhew says.

Extended power outages could pose another challenge for Florida’s hospitals, Mayhew noted. A number of ports along Florida’s coast are being closed due to the storm, so fuel shipments could be delayed. Hospitals have been working to ensure they have enough fuel for their generators.

Flooding and storm damage could also impede the delivery of drugs and other essential supplies, she said.

OneBlood, which supplies blood to many of Florida’s hospitals, made an urgent call for blood donations before Hurricane Helene’s arrival. OneBlood has reached out to hospitals to make sure they are aware of inventory levels, Mayhew said.

Mayhew credits Florida state emergency officials for their work in coordinating with hospitals and health systems. She’s been on a number of calls with state officials updating plans for more than 300 Florida hospitals.

“I couldn't be more pleased with the engagement and the support from the state,” Mayhew said.

Florida hospitals have also been working with state and local emergency officials to ensure that patients who rely on medical equipment in their homes are transferred to safe places.

"They also have been very focused on that to make sure that those individuals have not just a shelter to go to, but a shelter that can accommodate the acuity of their medical needs," Mayhew said. "Now there are hospitals around the state that also help to support some of that sheltering where it is possible."

Many communities and counties have ordered residents to evacuate, and Mayhew said she is encouraged that residents are heeding that advice.

"Our understanding is that people have seen enough over the last couple of years, and the risks that are not worth taking," she said.

Closings and transfers

Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater, ordered the evacuation of two hospitals, along with several nursing homes and assisted living facilities, in portions of the county especially vulnerable to strong storms.

Tampa General Hospital has set up its AquaFence, shown here in a 2023 photo, to help protect the campus from storm surge.

Tampa General Hospital said it was closing many of its clinics and outpatient facilities on Thursday. The system said it was going to transfer some patients from one hospital, TGH Crystal River, in Citrus County.

Tampa General was installing its “AquaFence” around its main campus to help protect the facility from flooding. The fence is designed to protect the 1,000-bed hospital from storm surges of up to 15 feet above sea level. Mayhew pointed to Tampa General’s fence as one of a number of new flood mitigation efforts hospitals have developed in the past few years.

“The positive news is that there's been such incredible investment in some relatively new flood mitigation efforts, at least in terms of a number of the hospitals,” Mayhew said.

HCA Florida, which operates 46 hospital campuses in the state, said some of its hospitals were transferring patients to other facilities. HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital was among the facilities transferring patients; the hospital closed Wednesday night.

HCA Florida established a patient reunification hotline (844-482-4821), which is available 24/7.

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare closed some urgent care centers Wednesday night, and all of TMH Physician Partners practices and urgent care centers were to be closed Thursday.

Focusing on staff

Hospitals will also be focusing on ensuring their employees can get to their facilities, and also meeting the needs of their workers who may see damage to their own properties.

“They depend on and need their staff to be there to take care of the patients and the individuals that we may be admitting to the hospital as a result of injuries from the storm,” Mayhew said.

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida two years ago, some hospital employees lost cars and even their homes, she said.

“Hospitals are going to be looking at all the contingency planning around supporting their staff so that they will be ready to support the needs of their patients,” she says.

For the clinicians and other staff working at Florida hospitals, Hurricane Helene represents the latest in what feels like a constant series of crises.

“It feels like it's been a long time since the pandemic, but it really hasn't been,” Mayhew said. “We're just barely two years out. You know, our staff are still kind of battle weary coming out from that, and then we have had a number of major storms over the last several years. So it is such a combined impact that is having a psychological toll.”

Still, Mayhew marvels at the resilience and commitment of hospital staff during Florida’s severe storms.

“They're rushing into the crisis to be there for their patients, for their communities,” Mayhew said. “We just need to do everything we can to support them.”