Disaster Preparedness and HIEs

Commenting on the SERCH report in a blog post, Lee Stevens, ONC’s Policy Office Director, described how he watched with great concern as Hurricane Isaac bore down on the Louisiana coast in late August, seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, and noted reports of people stranded on rooftops of Plaquemines Parish. “This was disheartening enough, but then I wondered if these evacuees would have access to their health records if they were displaced to a neighboring state.” Despite progress made since 2005, there is still plenty of work to do, he said. He added that the report’s recommendations on integrating disaster planning and HIE efforts offer a path forward for other states.

Click here for an article on how technology drives disaster preparedness at hospital systems.