Voluntary general hospitals may be viewed as emergency organizations in that the emergency treatment of the sick and injured is a part of their normal operations. The typical emergency patient most often becomes an input into the organization through the emergency facility of the hospital (Stallings, 1970). While under ordinary conditions an emergency case can be handled rather routinely in the emergency facility of the hospital, during crisis or large-scale disaster situations, the ongoing capability of the organization is likely to be inadequate to meet the sudden increase in demands it must now confront. When this situation occurs, the organization can be though of as experiencing stressCenter for Studies of Mental Health and Social Problems, Applied Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health
