Getting Patients In When the Power Goes Out

For most people, a prolonged power outage is an inconvenience, not a tragedy. Food spoils, bathing is deferred, work is disrupted and rambunctious children discover the limits of pioneer-era entertainment. Indoor temperatures soar or plummet, depending on the season, and enterprising cooks put together meals from canned goods and crackers half-forgotten in kitchen cupboards. It’s cause for complaint, not life-threatening. But for those who depend on electricity-powered medical equipment—oxygen concentrators, ventilators, wheelchairs, dialysis machines—a power outage can become a death sentence.  

Read more about the efforts to change this situation here.