Some hospitals on the East Coast are updating their buildings to be more resilient and able to withstand strong wind and torrential flooding, according to an article on the Fast Company website.
The resilience of hospitals is especially important for areas that only have one major medical center.
On the islands of Nantucket and Miami Beach, central hospitals serve as the center of emergency management during natural disasters.
“You have to think of these medical centers as mini-cities that can sustain themselves,” according to Natalie Petzoldt, a principal at CannonDesign who led the design of a new surgery center and emergency department for Mt. Sinai in Miami Beach. “They bring their own staff, and staff stay on site 24 hours a day during these storms.”
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