Hospital organizational response to the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island: implications for future-oriented disaster planning
The 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island (TMI) near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, caused severe organizational problems for neighboring health care institutions. Dauphin County, just north of TMI, contained four hospitals ranging in distance from 9.5 to 13.5 miles from the stricken plant. Crash plans put into effect within 48 hours of the initial incident successfully reduced hospital census to below 50 per cent of capacity, but retained bedridden and critically ill patients within the risk-zone. No plans existed for area-wide evacuation of hospitalized patients. Future-oriented disaster planning should include resource files of host institution bed capacity and transportation capabilities for the crash evacuation of hospitalized patients during non-traditional disasters.
- Research Organization:
- Respiratory Therapy, Community General Osteopathic Hospital, Harrisburg, PA
- OSTI ID:
- 5477081
- Journal Information:
- Am. J. Public Health; (United States), Vol. 72:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Three Mile Island population registry
TMI-2 (Three Mile Island Unit 2) licensing history
Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
RADIATION PROTECTION
PLANNING
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
HOSPITALS
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
PENNSYLVANIA
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIATION INJURIES
ACCIDENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BUILDINGS
FEDERAL REGION III
INJURIES
MEDICAL CENTERS
MEDICINE
NORTH AMERICA
PERSONNEL
RADIATION EFFECTS
USA
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
552000 - Public Health