In June 2016, association member Orlando Health took in 35 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, then the deadliest mass shooting in the United States. All the victims who came to Orlando Regional Medical Center alive survived.
Since then, staff have embarked on a mission to share their story of caring for victims and make sure that other hospitals are ready for the worst. The latest product of that endeavor is the Orlando Health Disaster Response Project, a comprehensive webpage sharing a peer-to-peer account of the level I trauma center’s response to the tragedy.
“It is no longer if and when, but where will something catastrophic happen,” reads the webpage’s preface. “We realize even more clearly that we must prepare for a major emergency to occur in our city, our community, maybe even just a few blocks down the street.”
While not intended to function as a disaster response plan, the website shares a timeline of events along with accounts from administrators, physicians, nurses, and support staff, including one newly-hired Orlando Health nurse who was injured in the shooting. Staff hope these stories can help staff at other hospitals develop emergency response plans of their own.
For general questions about Orlando Health’s response to the Pulse nightclub tragedy, contact CommunityRelations@OrlandoHealth.com.
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