Plan for disasters but expect unexpected, Catholic health leaders say

Published: 2006-06-06

ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- Less than a week after the opening of the 2006 hurricane season, three Catholic health care leaders relived the grim days following last year's hurricanes as a warning to their colleagues that no matter how prepared they think they are for a disaster the unexpected will occur. "Make sure your emergency plans are not just on the shelf. Think the unthinkable," said John L. Zipprich, senior vice president for legal and governance services at Christus Health in Houston. "If you think you're prepared, you're really not -- you've missed something," advised Anna M. Silva, vice president for ancillary services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, La. Dr. Chris Trevino, emergency room medical director at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Metairie, La., described the challenges of setting up a makeshift emergency room in a gym at Louisiana State University in the days before and after Hurricane Katrina hit. The three participated in a panel discussion on "Disaster Preparedness: Lessons Learned From the Hurricanes" on the second day of the June 4-6 Catholic Health Association assembly in Orlando.

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