The world of health care learned important lessons amid a crisis
Like many people, I clearly remember where I was and what I was doing on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
That memory, seared in my conscience, has had a profound impact on me. I saw roles and ranks disappear, displays of courage and selfless service — and witnessed the centrality of a hospital in the midst of crisis.
While in a meeting in the boardroom of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, my colleagues and I heard an unsettling bang. Noise is not unusual in Greenwich Village, but this was different. Walking outside, the chaos was unimaginable. The World Trade Center stood exactly two miles south, spewing smoke in the clear morning sky. As we looked up in disbelief at this landmark, a second plane struck.
St. Vincent’s was no stranger to disasters. In 1912, it received and treated the survivors of the Titanic. In 1993, it was the central trauma hospital following the bombing of the World Trade Center. On this one day 20 years ago, St. Vincent’s trauma and emergency teams would care for 344 patients. Time and again, St. Vincent’s was there when its community needed it most.
These doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers from all areas did everything they could. Then they did more. So many people operated outside their usual roles and responsibilities, doing whatever was necessary.
Amazed and moved as I was by the heroism and service that day, the primary lesson I took away is one of preparedness — making sure nothing stands in the way of caring for people. St. Vincent’s fully embraced its role as the nearest trauma center to the Twin Towers. Extra beds were made ready, additional staff was mobilized, equipment was procured and supplies were helicoptered in to support the immense need.
Although no one knew exactly what was happening, everyone knew how to spring into action.
For me, this is among the most important lessons from 9/11. We live in a dangerous and unpredictable world. Health care systems must be trained and ready as a critical part of our nation’s emergency response and disaster preparedness. In the past two weeks alone, we have faced the threat of a Category 1 hurricane and flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Even in the midst of a relentless pandemic, we also need to be mindful of the next unexpected crisis — caused by weather, accident or terrorism.
Through strategic investments in space, staff and supplies, hospitals serve as an essential safety net — prepared for the worst and ready for anything. As a result of 9/11, hospitals and health systems across the country improved our ability to plan for, detect and respond to threats and mass casualties. We regularly stage exercises and drills — often with first responders, government agencies and emergency preparedness partners — to keep us sharp. Once-siloed communication with other organizations is now coordinated, streamlined and regionalized.
Through practice and training, emergency response is now nearly reflexive: within moments of awareness of a crisis, emergency operations centers are established, with clear chains of command and standard procedures. Emergency management has changed from an additional duty some assumed in times of disaster to a permanent infrastructure staffed by experts with formal education and training.
These professionals teach the essentials of emergency
management to everyone. Today, we are more keenly aware of the impacts of disasters on behavioral health, and better able to address post-traumatic stress for survivors, families and communities.
There was criticism, much of it deserved, regarding the nation’s collective response to the 9/11 crisis. Amid ample signs of heart-wrenching heroism and impressive response, there was also insufficient coordination, disjointed communication and chaotic redundancy. In terms of emergency response, our nation has learned from the lessons of 2001 and, in so doing, ensured that hospitals across our country are ready to serve. Americans, in general, are more cautious and aware, and responders everywhere
are better trained. Health systems like Hartford HealthCare have gained two decades of maturity in emergency management and response.
I hope to never again see the horror of that day in lower Manhattan, when terrified people ran screaming up Seventh Avenue. As we pay tribute to those who lost their lives as a result of the 9/11 attacks, what continues to move me is the heroism that was shown on America’s worst day. I am grateful and honored to be part of a team that trains and plans to respond and save lives in any situation, however unexpected.