Lessons from pandemic bolster response to weather emergency.

Abstract

Ochsner Health’s experience with remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic helped the health system weather Hurricane Ida, which made landfall Sunday, August 29, 2021, approximately 100 miles from New Orleans in Port Fourchon, LA. Deborah Simonson, system vice president of pharmacy services for the health system, and Ryan Pepper, assistant vice president for the pharmacy supply chain, remained onsite at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans throughout the storm. But other system pharmacy leaders who normally ride out weather emergencies were positioned far from Ida’s path to provide continuous remote support. “Before COVID-19, we had a lot more people come onsite,” Simonson said. “With Hurricane Ida, we had to follow COVID-19 safety protocols, so we could not have our entire Team A on site. We really depended on support that we’d moved outside the impact zone.” She said the leadership team functioned as a command center to handle urgent requests from hospitals for supplies, staffing, and other assistance. Despite some storm-related communication issues, the overall process worked well, and Simonson said she wants to refine this model and use it during future emergencies.