Hospitals in major centers in states affected by Hurricane Helene are slowly returning to normal.  Metropolitan facilities have power and water available, but staff are hard pressed to serve local communities and those transferred from rural areas functioning without utilities.  A recent report in Becker’s Hospital Review confirmed that 22 hospitals in western North Carolina now have power.

In contrast to urban medical facilities, rural outpatient clinics are still closed due to storm damage or inadequate services. Routine scheduled appointments and elective procedures have been cancelled to allow staff to attend to urgent cases.

Many hospital systems have introduced support programs for staff who have lost accommodation or are caring for dependents and relatives displaced by the storm.