TAMPA,
Fla., Oct. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --BayCare
Health System has partnered with the federal government to
establish the first Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) in the
state after two recent hurricanes. The DMAT will increase West
Central Florida's access to emergency care after the region was
devastated by massive storms.
BayCare and HHS have partnered to expand
emergency care following hurricanes Helene and Milton.
On Friday, a DMAT tent village sprung up in a parking lot just
north of BayCare's St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, which has a trauma center, including a
pediatric trauma center. Hurricane Milton had exited West Central
Florida the day before; Hurricane Helene, eight days before. The
DMAT was to open at 7 p.m. Friday and
will run around the clock in partnership with the hospital, which
will support this site with laboratory and additional services as
needed.
DMATs often work in tandem with hospitals to expand capacity for
emergency care. DMAT is part of the federal government's
Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR),
which is under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS).
"We know that health care needs always escalate after a natural
disaster," said BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners. "With our region enduring two
back-to-back hurricanes that caused extraordinary havoc, we know
our communities need BayCare to be there for them and we appreciate
partners working with us."
Patients arriving at the DMAT site, 4600 N. Habana Ave., will be
triaged with lower acuity needs being cared for onsite while any
higher acuity cases, including any trauma cases, would be handled
by St. Joseph's Hospital's Emergency Department and Trauma Center.
Two other BayCare hospitals are also nearby to help serve patients,
St. Joseph's Children's and St. Joseph's Women's. The
not-for-profit BayCare, with 16 hospitals stretching across four
counties and hundreds of other physician offices and outpatient
locations, is the region's largest health care provider.
Earlier this week, BayCare also made two other locations
available to assist state relief efforts: A former Barnes and Noble
store in Tampa's Carrollwood area and a shuttered Plant City hospital that was replaced by a new
South Florida Baptist Hospital facility in August.
About BayCare
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that
connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16
hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the
Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central
Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric
services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of
the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory
services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare
Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare
HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it
serves through community-owned, health care services that set the
standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information
visit BayCare.org.
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SOURCE BayCare Health System