Disaster Response: Emergency Practice Physical Therapist Call to Action

Disaster planning has been a hospital requirement for patient surge management since the impact of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. The occurrence of man-made causes of disasters and the impact from natural hazards has increased the impact to communities at large with record numbers. The ability for a health care system to effectively respond and remain resilient to these events requires advanced planning to rapidly pivot from daily operations to crisis management. Traditional models for hospital response, with heavy reliance on a few providers or professional roles, are no longer sufficient or sustainable. Whole-community planning requires leveraging the skills and resources of the whole community, including nontraditional providers such as emergency department physical therapists, to engage in response. The physical therapy profession can no longer wait to be recognized for our professional skills but need to have an active voice and take action in the development of our role in disaster response.