UPDATE: Florida Hospital Flagler to evacuate before Hurricane Matthew

Palm Coast Observer
News

Updated 9:20 p.m. Oct. 5:

Florida Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast began evacuations today (Oct. 5) and will continue with evacuations tomorrow (Oct. 6). Patients will be transferred to other Florida Hospital facilities. At this time, the Florida Hospital Flagler emergency department is currently open for medical emergencies.

Original story:

All Florida Hospital outpatient facilities within the East Florida Region will be close as of 7 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, according to a Florida Hospital Flagler press release. All procedures, diagnostic testing and outpatient appointments are canceled and will need to be rescheduled.

As the storm approaches the Florida coast, the Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties have individual hurricane plans to help staff prepare, respond and recover from a potential storm, according to the press release.

There are several considerations – such as wind speeds and storm surge – that factor into the decision of whether or not to evacuate a hospital facility. In an abundance of caution, protective actions taken at the Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties include:

Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach was evacuated Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Approximately 50 patients from Florida Hospital Oceanside’s inpatient rehabilitation facility (Florida Hospital Peninsula Rehabilitation) and Transitional Care Unit were transported to Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
Florida Hospital Oceanside’s emergency department is also closed, as the hospital has been completely evacuated.
Florida Hospital New Smyrna in New Smyrna Beach has been evacuated.
Approximately 30 medical/surgical patients and progressive care unit patients were transported to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City.
Approximately 5 intensive care unit patients were transported to Florida Hospital DeLand in DeLand.
The ERs will be open and available for patients in emergency medical situations at Florida Hospital DeLand, Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City and Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

Additional updates will be communicated as information is available. To receive instant updates, follow the Florida Hospital East Florida Region facilities on Twitter at twitter.com/FlHospVF.