Annette Mendez, Kyung-Hwa Ashcroft, Corrine Joseph Tendo, and Jahnavi Munagala’s Tornado Emergency Operations Plan for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio

As climate change increases, so does the number and frequency of tornadoes. Over time, there has been a significant amount of damage done to both people and infrastructure, raising concerns about the quality of hospital preparedness in tornado-prone areas around the United States. Annette Mendez, Kyung-Hwa Ashcraft, Corrinne Joseph Tendo, and Jahnavi Munagala developed a Tornado Emergency Operations Plan for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, a level-one pediatric acute teaching hospital ranked the 7th best overall Children’s Hospital in the United States.

The Emergency Operations Plan outlines the delegation of authority from an Incident Commander to a nurse manager in the event of a tornado disaster. It also outlines Agency Communication plans to issue warnings, monitor weather conditions, and communicate with other hospitals. With these plans, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital will continue to improve response and recovery efforts.

By Taybah Alam