Modelling the impact of extreme weather events on hospital facilities management using a system dynamics approach

Heatwaves kill more Australians per year than any other type of natural disaster and are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change. Effectively designed and managed hospitals are therefore a critical and central part of a community's response to such events. While our understanding of these impacts is increasing, the impacts of potential knock-on effects from other critical infrastructure are not well understood. Using a case study approach, system dynamics is used to investigate the impact of heatwaves on community infrastructure and healthcare facility management outcomes. This provides hospital facility managers with a new way to understand and maximise the resilience of hospitals to the effects of extreme weather events.