In anticipation of summer, GNYHA encourages you to prepare for potential heat-related events. Pertinent resources and updates can be found below.
Key Heat Event Resources
- NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM) Pre-Season Heat Briefing: NYCEM developed a presentation/briefing (attached) with information on the seasonal outlook from the National Weather Service, heat-related health hazards from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, information about electric utility preparedness, and City heat plan updates and adaptations.
- NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS): NYC DHS released a letter (attached) and operational information (attached) about its Code Red protocol, which is activated during periods of extreme heat.
GNYHA Sit Stat
GNYHA continues to develop its Sit Stat platform to support prolonged heat event operations. In the event of a regional heat event, defined by the below activation triggers, GNYHA will deploy a brief Sit Stat survey to assess impacts to the hospital sector.
Heat Event Triggers
- Predicted heat index of 100°F or higher for one day or more
- Predicted heat index of 95°F or higher for two days or more
After reviewing the Heat Event survey with the Sit Stat Advisory Council, a few revisions were made. The current list of survey questions is included below. Areas of focus include hospital ED volume, operational impacts, and infrastructure impacts. GNYHA will hold a Sit Stat Heat Survey Drill on June 24 and strongly encourages all Sit Stat hospitals to participate. GNYHA will deploy a Heat Survey at 10:00 a.m. to begin the drill and will close the survey at 1:00 p.m. We recommend that facilities review the survey questions below and submit responses that accurately represent your operations at the time of the drill.
Sit Stat Heat Event Survey Questions
| Survey Question | Response Options |
|---|---|
| ED Volume Compared to a regular day, this status best describes your ED currently. This is a qualitative measure. |
Normal Less Busy Busier – No Impact Busier – Impact Closed Not Applicable |
| Current Impacts Are there current operational or infrastructure impacts at your facility? |
No Impacts Minor Impacts Moderate Impacts Severe Impacts |
| Anticipated Impacts Are there any anticipated operational and/or infrastructure impacts for your facility over the next 24 hours? |
No Impacts Minor Impacts Moderate Impacts Severe Impacts |
Coastal Storm Season
GNYHA also urges members to begin preparations for the 2021 Coastal Storm season. We will provide relevant updates and key coastal storm resources in a separate bulletin in the coming weeks.