Resilience in health care can only be served if a hospital is prepared to face the worst. By taking proactive steps and making concrete plans to further the disaster preparedness of a health care facility or system, engineers will be better equipped to answer the call of their communities during dire situations.
In addition to being resilient to natural disasters, hospitals also must be prepared for other disruptions, such as power outages, water shortages, or infrastructure failures — all of which impair their ability to provide lifesaving care to their vulnerable patient population. Without a clear plan and definitive course of action in place ahead of time, a hospital could be left scrambling to recover, putting patients and staff at risk and leaving the designer liable.