Tampa General Hospital Stands Strong Against Milton, Remains Open to Support Community in Aftermath

As the Region’s Only Level 1 Trauma Center, the Academic Health System is Actively Working with Emergency Response Teams to Treat Injuries and Other Health Emergencies in the Wake of Hurricane Milton.

 

Tampa, FL (Oct. 10, 2024) – Tampa General Hospital remains open as emergency response teams are activated to support communities impacted by Hurricane Milton. In the days leading up to landfall, Tampa General implemented a comprehensive mitigation plan to ensure physicians and team members could continue to safely provide care for patients.

 

“Preparing for Hurricane Milton was an incredible effort by the entire team and a true test of our resources, but it ensured we could continue to provide exceptional care for our patients in a high-quality, safe and uninterrupted environment before, during and after the storm,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “Tampa General is open to support communities impacted and particularly our first responders. Working together, we will come back from Milton stronger than ever.”

 

As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, Tampa General stands ready to treat and support patients in the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Milton.  The academic health system is actively working with emergency responders to treat injuries and other health emergencies in the wake of the storm. In collaboration with other health care facilities throughout the state, Tampa General is accepting patient transfers as needed.

At this time, current conditions at Tampa General are:

• While the storm surge was not as high as forecasted, the AquaFence stood strong against the hurricane force winds and effectively prevented flooding. The AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level.
• TGH did not experience major power outages. However, the hospital proactively activated its on-site power plant to ensure there were no interruptions to operations. The central energy plant is 16,000 square feet, located 33 feet above sea level and runs on natural gas or diesel.
• Care for patients continues. Tampa General physicians and team members who are trained in emergency management remained on site through the storm.
• The Emergency Room at Tampa General’s main campus on Davis Islands remained open through the storm and continues to accept and treat patients.
• TGH Brooksville, TGH Spring Hill and TGH Crystal River Emergency Rooms are open and caring for patients.
• The TGH Brandon Emergency Center at 10740 Palm River Road and the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center at 1301 West Kennedy Boulevard will reopen at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 10.
• Tampa General plans to resume normal operations on Friday, October 11. 

 

On Monday, TGH opened its incident command center and activated the emergency response plan to enable and support continued operations, while keeping patients, physicians and team members safe. 

 

The clinical and non-clinical teams at Tampa General engage in emergency management training with partners in government and across the community several times throughout the year to plan for and practice response to severe weather events.

 

To learn more about Tampa General’s comprehensive mitigation plan, visit: https://www.tgh.org/news/tgh-press-releases/2024/october/tampa-general-hospital-implements-comprehensive-mitigation-plan-prepare-hurricane-milton

 

For images and B-Roll of hurricane preparation efforts at Tampa General, visit: https://mediashare.tgh.org/hurricane_milton/#/

 

For the latest information on policies, facilities and updates from Hurricane Milton visit: https://www.tgh.org/emergency-preparedness