Surviving AmericanSurviving
American Medicine

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Sandy has hit the east and life as well as health care has been disrupted. While we all hope all is ok with our friends and family affected by the storm, we all should realize the impact of an emergency could have on our own health care.

• First, you should always have an emergency plan in place for you and for your family. Who is a contact person? Where should you go if evacuated? Do you have a supply of food, water, and medicines to last four days? Do you have enough over the counter medicines and antibiotics to treat fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or pain?
• Second, you should have your personal health records at home to take with you in any emergency. Whether you’re going to an emergency room, to a new doctor, to a destination in event of evacuation, or to a hospital. What should be in those records? Check the chapter about it in Surviving American Medicine and also get records from your physician.
• Third, have a wallet card with your illnesses, medication names and doses, and doctor names and phone numbers. That is self-explanatory; you never know what state you will find yourself in and who will be there to help you.
• Fourth, keep the same information on your refrigerator door, or inside the refrigerator in the door shelf. Surprisingly, that is where emergency medical responders look for precisely that information, and it could save your life.

You cannot prevent natural disasters, but with some planning and preparation, you can prevent health disasters.