Prolonged power and water outages in certain areas continue to delay the reopening of healthcare operations. Restoring healthcare access for low-income and historically medically underserved communities will require ensuring FQHCs and clinics are supported with the appropriate resources for facilities to operate and for staff to return to work.

In Florida’s Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties, which sustained significant impacts that forced evacuations, healthcare operations are slowly resuming, with additional reopenings expected throughout the rest of the week. Field hospitals and response teams situated nearby continue to provide resources (water and fuel tankers, etc.), and returning power to facilities via generators. There have been reports of potential long-term implications to electrical infrastructure in the area that may result in long-term or sustained power outages, but details are yet to be determined. While damage assessments continue, pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, and dialysis centers in most areas have started to resume operations. Individuals with medical needs who typically rely on access to water and power at home (to reconstitute medicines, or to operate medical equipment, etc.) are at greatest risk for experiencing impacts from lack of access to water and power. Transportation impacts, including damage to roadways, and delays to resuming public transportation, may continue to threaten the health of communities with medical conditions who rely on regular access to health professionals, medications, water, or power. Healthcare operations in states affected by Ian’s second landfall in South Carolina on 9/30 appear to be stable, overall.