The Center for Disaster Medicine (CDM) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) was formally founded in 2014, although its origins and staff have their roots in the hospital’s initial efforts in 2001 to answer questions about emergency preparedness that were raised after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., according to an interview with the center's director, Paul D. Biddinger, in the Health Facilities Management website.

CDM is a division within MGH department of emergency medicine and oversees preparedness and emergency management efforts. The CDM also assists other healthcare systems to deal with disasters.

Biddinger said the increasing frequency and magnitude of high-heat days is one example of something that can put a strain on the buildings’ cooling systems and increase patient volumes. He also encouraged hospitals to consider that most areas are expected to see increasingly severe winds and storms with greater amounts of precipitation in a single event. 

The current building codes and flood maps adopted by federal and state entities do not yet take these precautions into account, so hospitals may need to gather their own information.

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