Manhattan —
The storm surge and winds from Superstorm Sandy last year caused the evacuation of more than 13,000 patients from hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities in New York.
Though none of those evacuated were harmed during the storm, state officials decided to build a new system to keep track of patients. E-Finds, which was introduced over the summer, uses bracelets with scannable barcodes to account for patients.
State officials, who are testing the device in healthcare facilities, showed how the system worked Friday during a drill at Bellevue Hospital, one of six New York City hospitals evacuated during Sandy.
Bellevue Hospital staff members who worked during last year’s storm volunteered for the drill. They recalled taking quick, but methodical steps to get hundreds of patients out of the complex as millions of gallons of water flooded the hospital basement.
