East Coast providers take emergency measures as massive storm nears

With a massive snowstorm set to hit the East Coast, New York and Boston healthcare providers were asking staff to stay at facilities overnight, stockpiling supplies, postponing elective surgeries and asking pregnant patients to come in early to be at hospitals when the worst of the storm hits.

Hospitals in New York City began preparing for the storm over the weekend, receiving shipments of medical and surgical supplies, drugs and food with the understanding that the roads may not be clear until Thursday for another round of deliveries.

New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. has postponed elective procedures scheduled for Tuesday, said Dr. Ross Wilson, the system's chief medical officer. The system is monitoring the impact of the storm to decide whether Wednesday's elective procedures also will be postponed. The system is considering which patients will be discharged early and which ones should remain in the hospital over the course of the storm, including those who may not have adequate heat, food or support at home, Wilson said.

The city-operated health system will provide accommodations and food for hospital staff to prevent travel during unsafe conditions and also ensure there are enough staffers at the hospital, Wilson said.

Power outages because of high-force winds are possible, but hospitals say they are better equipped now to deal with outages and backup generators than they were during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, when a number of such backup generators at hospitals were damaged by floodwater.

“It's much less a concern that it was two years ago,” said Christopher O'Connor, president of GNYHA Services, a group-purchasing organization owned by the Greater New York Hospital Association.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio planned to close city streets to all traffic other than emergency vehicles starting at 11 p.m., which presumably will make it easier for ambulances to travel through the storm.

The Nassau University Medical Center on Long Island reportedly has put snow gear on its vehicles, which could mean tire chains or snow tires, to weather the storm anticipating an influx of patients who can't get medical care elsewhere.

Boston area hospitals including Tufts Medical Center said they regularly prepare for these types of blizzards. Indeed, the impending storm is already bearing a resemblance to the winter of 2013, when a blizzard covered the city in more than 2 feet of snow.

“We're no stranger to this,” Tufts Medical Center spokeswoman Julie Jette said. “Unfortunately, we get ample opportunity to drill this scenario.”

Many Tufts clinical employees have booked hotel rooms to be ready for their shifts Tuesday, Jette said. Tufts receives discounts from several area hotels for these types of weather-related emergencies. The hospital also will be putting up more than 100 staff members in-house.

Nine employees will be working through the night to ensure all hospital entrances are clear, particularly for ambulances, Jette said. Tufts also received some food and linen deliveries a day in advance Monday to stock up for the storm.

Patient discharges will depend on how poor road conditions become. “We would never discharge anybody if it was unsafe for somebody to travel,” Jette said.

The Cambridge Health Alliance, which has three community hospital campuses and a network of primary- and specialty-care clinics in the Boston area serving Cambridge, Somerville and north Boston, plans to have staff stay at its hospitals so it can continue operating.

“Our primary- and specialty-care clinics will close at 5 p.m. today and will remain closed on Tuesday,” a spokesman said Monday. “We've connected with all our snowplow contractors to ensure they're ready to help with snow removal. All additional supplies were ordered this morning for delivery this afternoon, and we tested all our generators and topped off the fuel in each.”

Hospitals in western Massachusetts also were stocking up and asking staff to stay at the facilities ahead of the major snow.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a statewide travel ban except for key vehicles such as ambulances, suppliers and others involved in healthcare. That ban goes into effect midnight Tuesday through noon Wednesday. Public transportation in the state is also expected to shut down Tuesday in advance of the storm.

Nantucket (Mass.) Cottage Hospital faces unique concerns. Nantucket, an island more than 30 miles off the Massachusetts mainland and accessible only by ferry or small airplane, is expected to be hit with hurricane-level winds gusting between 60 and 80 miles an hour.

“That means we're effectively cut off from the normal transportation from the mainland,” Nantucket Cottage Hospital spokesman Jason Graziadei said. “We're all prepared for 24 to 48 hours without the boats or planes.”

The hospital has offered on-campus housing for employees to ensure no service disruptions. It's also reached out to women who are 40 to 41 weeks pregnant and want to consider coming to the hospital early. Two patients already plan to come in, Graziadei said.

Pat Noga, the Massachusetts Hospital Association's vice president for clinical affairs, added that hospitals routinely reach out to other providers such as long-term-care facilities to discuss patient transfers ahead of winter storms.

New London, Conn.'s Lawrence & Memorial Hospital was holding planning sessions at midday. “All the generators have been checked, we've got enough food and stock room supplies for the next few days,” hospital spokesman Mike O'Farrell told a local newspaper. Connecticut's governor has ordered a travel ban.

Preparations extended across New England. The Dartmouth Hitchcock Health System is notifying patients with upcoming appointments that it will close four of its outpatient clinics in the southern part of New Hampshire on Tuesday because they're near where the storm is expected to hit, a spokesman said. The system's hospital in Lebanon, N.H., is not expected to be hard hit by the storm, but does have an inclement-weather plan in place.

York Hospital, a 79-bed not-for-profit facility on the southern coast of Maine, is postponing elective surgeries but will keep its emergency department open, a spokeswoman said. The hospital has a generator that can run for a week unless the power goes out. Transportation and accommodations have been arranged for staff who may need to stay at the facility overnight as a result of the storms.

Nursing homes in the northeast also are taking precautions to prepare for the storm. Myrtle Williams, a licensed practical nurse at Peninsula Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in New York City, was on her way to work a scheduled 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift Monday, but said she may have to work longer because nurses are often asked to work additional shifts when others can't make it in because of bad weather.

Williams, who also worked during Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, said she and her fellow staffers prepare for a major storm by ensuring that there is a sufficient emergency supply of oxygen and tracheostomy tubes. She said certified nursing assistants also play a big role in maintaining patient hygiene and well-being, especially as the storms can frighten some patients.

“We're well aware that disasters can be even worse,” Williams said. “We're prepared to do what's necessary to get through this.”

The National Weather Service called the pending nor'easter a “historic winter storm” with one to 3 feet of snow expected to fall along New England's coastline. The service also said “travel may become impossible and life-threatening,” and some areas off the coast, such as Nantucket, could see hurricane-force winds.

New York state has declared a state of emergency and nearby states also are implementing emergency preparedness measures. Roughly 60 million people live in areas under a winter weather alert while 28 million are in the possible path of blizzard conditions, according to Weather Channel calculations.

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Associated Press reporting also is included in this report.