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Hurricane Hardening at
Sarasota Memorial
In 2005 and 2006, Sarasota Memorial
Health Care System devoted millions of dollars to “harden”
our
 facility against hurricane-force winds to improve the likelihood
that the region’s only community hospital will remain open and able to
take care of patients if a storm strikes the area. The hospital has embarked upon a series of
construction and renovation projects designed to strengthen the
facility’s roof, reduce vulnerability to wind and flooding and protect
medical equipment.
The upgrades include:
-
replacing parts of
the facility’s gravel-top roof with materials that adhere to the
building
-
sealing windows and
doors and installing shutters
-
building a wall
around medical gas tanks
-
resealing the panels
and joints of the building that houses the hospital’s Emergency
Room and Intensive Care Units
-
installing
flood-detection equipment and new pumps
-
installing extra
protection for generators
In 2007 and 2008 Sarasota Memorial completed the installation of hurricane protective screening for the Waldemere Tower and East Tower windows. The individual screens are designed to meet/exceed current FEMA wind requirements for our area. The work was the result of two approved federal grants.
If a
storm is headed our way ...
Hospital staff will
work closely with Sarasota County and other agencies and health care
providers to address the health needs of the community during and
after a storm. The hospital may cancel all elective surgeries and
discharge as many non-critical patients as possible before a hurricane
is expected to make landfall. A core team of staff and physicians will
be on duty throughout the duration of the storm.
Sarasota Memorial is a
designated medical shelter — a safe destination for people with
medical or physical conditions requiring special assistance.
People
with special needs must register ahead of time, please contact
Sarasota County at (941) 861-5000 for more information.
Hurricane aftermath
Even if the region
lacks electrical power or other utilities, Sarasota Memorial should be
able to continue to provide medical services with the
help of generators and reserves of water and supplies.
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