Hurricane Ida Emergency Medicine Resident Disaster Response

Abstract

Introduction:This report describes the response, action plan, and after-action changes adopted by the Louisiana State University New Orleans (LSU-NO)–Emergency Medicine (EM) Residency Program in response to Hurricane Ida, which occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana in late August through early September 2021. Summarized are the redistribution of emergency department (ED) residents within the primary clinical site, University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO); the daily communication flow from chief residents and program leadership; and discussions pertaining to procedural revisions instituted following investigation of pre- and post-hurricane operations.Method:Small-group debrief sessions and after-action reports were conducted post-storm to discuss perceived deficiencies from a resident stand-point. Debriefing occurred between chief residents and individual classes through standardized residency forums. Additionally, an after-action committee, comprised of senior residents, academic faculty, and ancillary personnel, convened a separate counsel with hospital administration-level leadership to analyze retrospective limitations that occurred both during, and immediately following, Code Grey activation.Results:Following data collection and analysis from the various feedback channels, several changes were made to the residency’s Code Grey activation plan going into the 2022-2023 academic residency year. The information obtained was used to develop a more formalized Code Grey process, and to create more robust orientation and education materials for residents.Conclusion:Throughout the events of Hurricane Ida, the LSU-NO Emergency Medicine Department at University Medical Center New Orleans managed a substantial intensification in daily emergency medical activity, while contending with a near-immediate reduction in available resources. Consequently, our program has formalized a more durable residency response to future disasters, including real-time, evolving evacuation correspondence and modernized protocols for rapid re-distribution of resident-power. These procedures are now distributed and practiced throughout each residency year and reinforced on an ad hoc basis in advance of any major weather-related events predicted to impact the greater New Orleans metropolitan area.