When the Healthcare Financial Management Association scheduled its 2010 ANI conference for Nashville, Tenn., no one expected that Las Vegas would have to bail out the organization.
HFMA moved its signature summer event from Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort after historic spring flooding in Nashville damaged large sectors of the city and forced closure of the Gaylord conference facilities.
More than 13 inches of rain fell in Nashville over two days in late April, nearly doubling the previous record of 6.68 inches that fell in the wake of Hurricane Fredrick in 1979.
No one should be surprised then, that on short notice HFMA shifted the annual conference to the Sands Expo Center and Venetian/Palazzo Resort in Las Vegas. Not only does Vegas have an abundance of hotel rooms, but conferences in the city often draw more attendees than other locations, given the entertainment opportunities available.
While HFMA members will likely approve of the move to Vegas, it’s important not to forget Nashville and what Tennessee healthcare providers contributed to the flood relief efforts.
According to the Tennessee Hospital Association, hospitals in the greater Nashville area remained open and operating throughout the storms and the resulting flooding, although some sustained flood damage.
“Hospitals all over west and middle Tennessee have done a fantastic job in managing some tough situations,” said THA Vice President Michael Dietrich. “As long as the remaining water treatment plant here remains operational, hospitals should be OK until … the city gets back on its feet.”
The city’s hospitals were tested often during the crisis.
Baptist Hospital in Nashville reported treating an additional 10-15 patients per day in its Emergency Department as a direct result of the flooding. Some of the patients suffered from hypothermia and required resuscitation, while others were victims of electric power outages and lost the use of home oxygen or dialysis equipment.
The roads surrounding Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville were flooded, and several affiliated clinics had standing water in their basements and first floors. As Dietrich indicated, access to clean water is an ongoing concern. Saint Thomas has initiated emergency water conservation measures and had to temporarily close a clinic due to a lack of potable water.
John Williams, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said health risks will continue in the region even after the water has receded.
Many neighborhoods and public places were inundated with floodwaters, which left sludge and debris in their wake. Williams said the risk of infection, particularly to children, has increased, as has exposure to insect-borne diseases. “Warm weather in middle Tennessee brings mosquitoes, and the increased standing water may allow mosquitoes to breed in greater numbers,” Williams said. “In some cases insect bites can become infected like cuts. In rare cases, mosquitoes can carry more severe diseases like West Nile virus.”
The Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) operates hospitals across the United States, but has its corporate headquarters in Nashville. Richard Bracken, HCA’s chairman and CEO, said the floods affected the Tennessee healthcare community in very personal ways.
“Many of our colleagues suffered their own personal losses,” he said. “Through multiple efforts, they maintained care to our patients and reached out to help friends, neighbors and total strangers.”