Healthcare Leaders Collaborate on Disaster Relief Solutions for Hurricane Season at event hosted by Cisco Systems

Leading up to hurricane season, top healthcare professionals in Houston developed solutions at the Value Innovation Summit to prepare for the greatest challenges of emergency response. Hosted at the Asia Society Texas Center by Cisco this past April, the Summit’s goal was to support local medical doctors, researchers and senior staff in connecting to the value of intuitive networks, security and improved access to care.

Attendees shared their greatest hurdles to addressing immediate opportunities for Houston’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Top concerns were aligned with streamlining communication through technology, increased access to care for patients and how to better utilize social media for crisis management.

“Technology has broadened the horizons for how quickly and effectively medical professionals can respond to unexpected disasters like Hurricane Harvey,” said Jim Walsh, Senior Vice President of the Cisco Global Enterprise Segment. “As more and more adopt the new methods Cisco has developed for healthcare, collaboration across the world and rapid response to those in need, the community can worry less about their safety during emergencies throughout the upcoming Hurricane season.”

The intention of the Value Innovation Plan™ for Harvey Recovery is to expand communication and offer solutions to pressing problems. In alignment with this goal, innovative concepts such as the one presented by Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, which proposes to use Cisco collaboration technology to combat tropical infectious diseases—have become a reality. Highlights of Dr. Hotez’s endeavors in areas like Houston, where tropical infectious disease outbreaks are exacerbated by hurricanes.

Another innovation to provide for Houston disaster relief is the Smart Pod tiny hospital. This brainchild of Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy and Baylor Global Innovation Center is designed for rapid deployment in the event of emergency or resource scarcity. Smart Pods are equipped for a team of four and provide ample resources in environments with poor access to necessities such as power. Currently, a Smart Pod unit is ready to assist Houstonians in their healthcare needs during Hurricane season.

These advancements represent the mission of the Value Innovation Plan and showcase what’s to come in the future of medical disaster relief.