HOSPITALS ARCHIVES
Inventions Birthed by Necessity
Daniel M. Gerstein
April 15, 2020
If necessity is the mother of invention, the new coronavirus is quickly birthing a lot of innovations. Parts of U.S. society may be forever changed by this pandemic. As of 13 April 2020, the United States had over 550,000 confirmed cases and nearly 22,000 deaths, with emergency preparedness and response
Reconsideration of Healthcare Providers in the Age of COVID-19
Matthew Minson
April 8, 2020
Lately, there have been a number of discussions about protecting healthcare workers, bolstering the ranks with volunteerism, and utilizing alternative care sites and providers. There have been call-ups of retired clinicians of all stripes, field promotions of health sciences students, and alternative venues for care like telemedicine. However, one group
Triggered Collapse, Part 5: Gaps in National Disaster Planning Scenarios
Drew Miller
April 8, 2020
In contrast to expertsâ estimates of millions of deaths, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pandemic influenza planning scenario refers to just 87,000 casualties â not much more than a bad seasonal flu. This version of the scenario seen in public forums has planning assumptions on virus lethality, worker
Use Caution: Retirees & the Direct Clinical Setting
Matthew Minson
April 1, 2020
To help with the increasing surge of COVID-19 patients, there have been a number of calls to re-enlist retired physicians and nurses in the healthcare setting. These calls from those within the government and the clinical setting are understandable on the surface. However, some elements are not being fully considered
Resilience When Help May Not Be on the Way
Catherine L. Feinman
March 25, 2020
Disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina physically devastated the regions in which they occurred, affected people who were not directly impacted, and spurred nationwide action to assist in the response and recovery activities. As significant as those events were, though, they could not prepare the nation for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Triggered Collapse, Part 4: Cascading Consequences Beyond the Event
Drew Miller
March 25, 2020
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is a credible source for dealing with pandemics and disaster response. In 2018, the Center created a realistic simulation of a moderately contagious and moderately lethal virus, similar to the lethality of the 2002 SARS outbreak, which killed about 10 percent of those
PPE Shortages & Funding Gaps for Pandemics
Greg Burel
March 18, 2020
SARS, H1N1, Ebola, Zika, and now the COVID-19 pandemic blindsided U.S. public health officials and the world at large. Although this is a newsworthy headline, it is not entirely accurate. Hyperbole may sell newspapers, but has ignored the great progress that has been made in national public health emergency preparedness.
Triggered Collapse, Part 3: Lessons in Lawlessness
Drew Miller
March 11, 2020
A pandemic, loss of the electric system, or other triggering disaster need not be that effective in directly killing people to generate a collapse that results in millions of deaths and a weakened nation. The âcascading effectsâ of an economic shut down â loss of law and order, looting and
A Family Tradition â Old School Florida Smuggling, Chapter 8
Robert C. Hutchinson
March 6, 2020
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien loads, broad
From Hysteria to Complacency, Then Back Again
James M. Rush Sr.
March 4, 2020
With recent urgent stories about the coronavirus, it seemed to be just a matter of time for the nation to revert to hysteria. Instead of a calm, resolute culture of preparedness, there has been a âPowerGlideâ of public sentiment. In the 1960s, many Chevrolet automobiles had a PowerGlide transmission with
Police as Medical Responders in Active Threat Events
Charles H. Kean
February 26, 2020
April 20, 1999, was a bellwether day in American law enforcement history. An act of mass murder occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 13 people dead and 21 injured, and the old model of responding to active threat events was changed forever. The active pursuit of the
A Family Tradition â Old School Florida Smuggling, Chapter 4
Robert C. Hutchinson
February 21, 2020
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien loads, broad
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