San Diego's Area Coordinator System A Disaster Preparedness Model for US Nursing Homes

In October 2007, a series of wildfires burned over 500,000 acres in Southern California causing 14 nursing homes to evacuate more than 1,200 residents. In response to this event, nursing home administrators and officials from various healthcare and emergency management agencies in San Diego County collaborated to form a model for nursing home emergency preparedness. The authors of this report describe the model, known as the area coordinator system, and discuss its strengths, limitations, and how it could be replicated in other areas of the country.