By Wednesday afternoon, arrangements had been made to staff each of the hospital's clinical units. Some workers scheduled for day shifts on Thursday were asked to come to the hospital the night before to ensure staffing levels would be normal during the worst of the storm. Plans were made for vacant hospital beds and even exam rooms in closed clinics to be used for sleeping rooms for the staff on stand-by duty. Early arriving workers received stand-by pay, but hospital officials said it's their dedication to the patients that spurs the employees to make sure they're ready when needed. Boundaries seem to disappear within the hospital.
People are flexible and do whatever's necessary to make sure patients are cared for.
During severe weather, the hospital continues to operate on schedule as much as possible. However, in the case of Hurricane Floyd's approach, outpatient surgeries at the ambulatory center were canceled for Thursday, and some elective surgeries that would require post-surgery inpatient stay were postponed. In addition, officials decided to cancel most outpatient clinic appointments. Duke's primary care clinics on Roxboro Road and in the Pickens Building on Erwin Road were open Thursday, as was the urgent care clinic on Hillandale Road, but specialty clinic appointments were rescheduled for after Floyd's departure. Faculty, students and staff were ordered to leave the Duke Marine Lab, located on Piver's Island on the coast, Wednesday afternoon.