When 'Acts of God' Strike
Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Katrina. Each one memorable, each one devastating. Excluding the heartbreaking loss of life, to which a price can never be attached, there was damage to property, widespread blackouts, and disruptions in communications that left millions of people literally in the dark and cost billions of dollars.
During each of these natural disasters, most businesses, including medical offices, had to remain closed until the power was restored. Yours may have been one of them.
Of course, many years ago, power outages weren't a big deal in the practice of medicine. An assistant was sent out for more lamp oil, or to get another bag of feed for the horse, so that the doctor could get to his next house call. Now, with electronic health records, modern building design, and the power requirements of diagnostic medical equipment, a power outage is a major event in a medical practice. Given the volume and pace of work in medical offices today, it can take physicians two to three times longer than normal to make up for the lost time.
Over the years, we've lost power many times in our office, usually without warning. Sometimes it has been because a car smashed into a utility pole.
