James A . Haley Veterans ’ Hospital James A . Haley Veterans Hospital “ Stands Up ” to Hurricanes Helene and Milton
Acting Associate Director Anthony Moorehead leads the way as Incident Commander of the Tampa VA Incident Command in response to the potentially disastrous impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton .
By Alicia Burden , Public Affairs October 21 , 2024
James A . Haley Veterans ’ Hospital bustled with activity as Hurricanes Helene and Milton threatened to wreak havoc on Tampa ’ s facilities within two weeks of each other .
In response to the potential impact on the community , the hospital activated the Incident Command System , with Anthony Moorehead , FACHE , as the Incident Commander . An ICS is a standardized approach to managing emergencies by integrating resources and personnel to coordinate a response . Moorehead quickly organized his team , which consisted of executive leadership and various critical services within the hospital .
“ The importance of the ICS is to allow the healthcare system to run normal operations , but emergency operations concurrently ,” said Moorehead .
As the storms approached , the ICS focused on logistics to ensure necessary supplies were in stock . The Planning section mapped out potential scenarios , while the Operations section stayed ready to respond to any emergencies .
“ Having Logistics in the Incident Command allows for rapid updates on status and gives a clear picture of available resources ,” explained David Flannery , deputy chief of logistics . “ It also eliminates any lag as far as information flow and allows for decisions to be made quickly and as needed .”
Amid the flurry of activity , Moorehead remained the picture of composure , making efficient decisions under the constraints of time and the scope of the hurricane ’ s impact .
“ We work real issues in real time to make decisions in the moment during an emergency ,” said Moorehead . “ This comes down to the expertise and preparedness of the ICS team .”
Ready as always to assist , the VA Police were also on standby in the Incident Command .
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