E98 – Built to Remain: Hardening Rural Healthcare with Coastal High-Rise Strategies
On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida destroyed the roof of Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Cut Off, Louisiana, exposing critical building envelope deficiencies as staff worked to protect patients. This session analyzes how the original critical access hospital failed and how the 84,000 square foot replacement facility incorporates construction techniques adapted from coastal high-rise design in high-impact zones like Miami-Dade County.
Presenters will contrast the operational and construction failures the storm revealed with the new facility's resilience strategies, including hardened building envelope construction and protected building systems. By examining priorities of staff who experienced the disaster firsthand and applying high-rise engineering rigor to rural healthcare, we present a transferable framework for hardened construction in high-risk communities. Attendees will learn how resilient design transforms rebuilding from a financial liability into a sustainable long-term investment, ensuring critical access remains intact for vulnerable populations.
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