surge capacity

surge capacity

A term of art referring to the capability of a community and its local or regional healthcare facilities or systems to handle a potentially overwhelming influx of patients caused by natural disasters, large-scale accidents, or terrorist attacks.
Integral to addressing such a surge is the development of alternative care facilities which can be pressed into service to relieve pressure on local healthcare systems by serving as triage stations, caring for the non-emergent wounded, or providing patient care when local healthcare facility infrastructure is damaged.

surge capacity

The ability of a community or health care system to respond to sudden increases in demand for services or emergency help, e.g., after a multiple casualty incident.