Tampa General radiology rides out 2 hurricanes with strategic disaster preparedness
Tampa General Hospital, on the edge of Tampa Bay and surrounded by water on three sides, was struck by two major hurricanes within the span of a week in the fall of 2024. Thanks to detailed disaster preplanning, the hospital and its radiology department maintained critical operations even as much of the surrounding region came to a standstill with storm surge flooding, loss of power and streets blocked by debris.
Hurricane Helene was first, followed by the more powerful Milton that cut through Central Florida days later. These back-to-back storms put Tampa General Hospital's emergency preparedness systems into full effect. Raj Kedar, MD, chief of radiology at Tampa General, shared with Radiology Business how the organization stayed self-sufficient after expecting to remain isolated for several days.
“It was really challenging,” Kedar said. “Tampa General is the largest single-facility hospital in Florida. We’re a level 1 trauma center and one of the top transplant hospitals in the nation. We had critical patients who simply could not be moved elsewhere.”
To protect the facility from the expected flooding, the hospital deployed a specially designed “aqua fence” that wrapped around the complex, keeping storm surge water at bay. But even more critical was the operational strategy inside. The hospital implemented a two-team rotation system for all departments, including radiology.
“Team A came in before the storm and stayed on-site through the worst of it,” Kedar explained. “As soon as it was safe to travel, Team B came in to relieve them. This approach kept services running smoothly, even during the worst conditions.”
Radiologists, nurses and support staff sheltered in place, some sleeping on floors in makeshift accommodations, while the hospital ensured access to food, water, and emotional support. Tampa General established a state-of-the-art command center, described by Kedar as reminiscent of the New York Stock Exchange with video screens everywhere to keep up to date on the storm, recovery efforts and to monitor hospital operations. He said this was instrumental in tracking patients’ needs in real time, from imaging to dialysis.
Despite the hospital’s robust infrastructure, including underground power lines to avoid power being knocked out by high winds and on-site massive backup generators, outside connectivity posed challenges. While the hospital’s internal systems continued with barely a flicker during brief power interruptions, many remote-reading radiologists lost power at home for up to a week, limiting off-site diagnostic capacity. Fortunately, the hospital’s in-house radiology team, including three attending radiologists and five residents, maintained adequate staffing levels.
“Supply chain disruptions weren’t a major issue for radiology,” Kedar noted. “Contrast and other essentials were well-stocked. The greater challenge was ensuring we had enough people on-site and managing the emotional toll, especially since some of our staff lost their homes.”
The hospital’s leadership and medical staff also established an emergency fund to aid nurses, technologists, and others affected by the storms. Contributions came from the hospital, individual physicians, and the broader medical staff to support those without insurance or who were caught in a coverage gap during the disasters.
"Fortunately, patient care was not affected, everyone came out well. Patients were happy, and even there was great deal of satisfaction in handling such a bad situation during hurricane time," Kedar said.
Many times discussions about disaster recovery focuses on IT systems, PACS and electronic patient records. But he said it also is about having infrastructure, equipment, staffing, and a resiliency plan in place. This is especially essential in disaster prone areas such as Florida, which sees frequent hurricanes, he added.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]