Heatwaves kill more Australians per year than any other type of natural disaster and
are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change. Effectively
designed and managed hospitals are therefore a critical and central part of a community's response to such events. While our understanding of these impacts is
increasing, the impacts of potential knock-on effects from other critical infrastructure
are not well understood. Using a case study approach, system dynamics is used to
investigate the impact of heatwaves on community infrastructure and healthcare
facility management outcomes. This provides hospital facility managers with a new
way to understand and maximise the resilience of hospitals to the effects of extreme
weather events
