Forward planning needed to ensure hospital care during severe weather events

[WCCO-TV, February 23, 2023] While many people made plans to hunker down as a blizzard approached, Allina Health implemented plans to ensure patient care delivery at its 12 hospital campuses.

WCCO-TV visited Owatonna Hospital and learned that care teams were prepared to keep Allina Health Owatonna Hospital running throughout the storm. 

Hundreds of employees stayed overnight at Allina Health hospitals to avoid treacherous road conditions. Helen Strike, who co-led Allina Health's storm preparations explained how numerous team members make a hospital run. 

"If we've got staff staying in the hospital that don't normally stay there, we need linen for them to sleep on and towels to shower," said Strike. "Nutrition staff is probably the highest commodity because they're going to be feeding a lot more people 24 hours a day than they would have on a normal basis with extra staff staying in the hospital."

WCCO-TV also spoke with a family who delivered a baby during the storm. You can watch that report, here.