The only ones not feeling eclipse mania: hospitals

Axios

The public's massive enthusiasm for the upcoming total solar eclipse may only be matched by the anxiety felt by hundreds of hospitals in the path of totality.

Why it matters: With millions of people flocking to big cities and small towns to witness Monday's eclipse, hospitals are on high alert for increased traffic accidents, the potential for mass casualty events and, of course, eye damage.

  • Eclipse fervor will especially strain understaffed health care systems in rural towns that may not have dealt with an event of this scale.

  • As the eclipse nears, the feeling is "more of apprehension" for hospitals, said Lacey Carter, chief nursing officer at Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains, Missouri.

The big picture: Some hospitals in the path of totality, which stretches from Texas to Maine, told Axios they've spent more than a year preparing with emergency drills and regular coordination with local officials.

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