As extreme weather events continue to challenge the resilience of healthcare facilities, it has become evident that vulnerabilities in maintaining essential functions must be addressed. Now more than ever, a comprehensive planning process that considers infrastructure needs, design factors, backup systems, and budget constraints is crucial to prevent costly damages and disruptions to critical care during times of crisis.

In this session, Flad Principal Steve Jackson will join Sharon Roush (President, Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice) and Jeff Heiken (Principal, Affiliated Engineers Inc.) to showcase how deliberate resilience planning for Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice enabled the hospital to remain fully operational throughout Hurricane Ian in 2022—a storm that ranks among the most destructive and costly to ever hit Florida. Meanwhile, other healthcare facilities in the region sustained extensive damage.

Key takeaways:

• Critical Infrastructure Planning: Learn about the essential infrastructure planning considerations that are lifelines for safety-net hospitals during natural disasters.
• Design for Resilience: Understand design principles to mitigate building envelope damage and water intrusion during hurricanes.
• MEP Systems Resilience: Discover how to design MEP systems that ensure uninterrupted operations during crises.
• Architectural Responses: Implement architectural design strategies to mitigate flood and storm-surge risks, along with considerations for effective shelter-in-place provisions.

About the Conference >
HCD Conference + Expo is the premier event for healthcare design professionals. Devoted to how the design of responsibly built environments directly impacts the safety, operation, clinical outcomes, and financial success of healthcare facilities, both now and into the future, this healthcare design show highlights best practices and top healthcare design products.