Florida hospitals prepare for Hurricane Irma: 7 things to know Wednesday

Leo Vartorella -

Hurricane Irma is a Category 5 storm expected to make landfall in Florida sometime this weekend, leaving local hospitals to prepare for a possible landfall and catastrophic damage.

Listed below are seven things every healthcare leader should know about the unfolding situation in Florida.

1. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) declared a state of emergency Monday for the entire state.

2. Three hospitals in the Florida Keys are beginning to evacuate patients: Key West, Fla.-based Lower Keys Medical Center, Tavernier, Fla.-based Mariners Hospital and Marathon, Fla.-based Fisherman's Hospital. Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys, is also closing its health department.

3. Neither the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital have plans to evacuate preemptively, but have strategies in place to do so if necessary.

4. Riviera Beach, Fla.-based Edward J. Healey Center and Belle Glade, Fla.-based Lakeside Medical Center have enacted disaster preparedness plans, though details of those plans weren't specified.

5. Naples, Fla.-based Physicians Regional Healthcare System has not cancelled any elective surgeries, but is stocked up on food, water and other supplies.

6. Florida Hospital in Orlando has thousands of gallons of water and backup generators ready if necessary, and reassured patients that the hospital will be fully staffed and operational during the storm.

7. Orlando (Fla.) Health has taken similar precautions and warned patients that, if necessary, the hospital could go on lockdown during the storm.

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