Case Study: Louisiana Department of Health improves hospital evacuation planning with Simul8

Louisiana Department of Health saves 80 hours on evacuation planning with SIMUL8

The Louisiana Department of Health faced the complex challenge of planning large-scale hospital evacuations ahead of hurricanes. With limited local surge capacity, air evacuation to neighboring states was the only viable option, but coordinating this multi-agency process and testing plans under variable conditions was extremely difficult using traditional spreadsheet models. They turned to SIMUL8's simulation software and consultant expertise to address this.

SIMUL8's solution involved building a visual simulation model that incorporated all key variables, from patient types and ambulance flow to flight probabilities and airport constraints. This allowed the department to test scenarios and communicate the process effectively to stakeholders. Using SIMUL8 saved over 80 hours of work compared to a spreadsheet approach and fundamentally shifted planning to incorporate uncertainty, leading to more robust evacuation plans.

Louisiana Department of Health