Hospitals should consider memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with organizations that can supplement their resources and services during emergencies and disasters. MOUs are established between hospitals, other health care providers, and/or emergency response agencies to collaborate, communicate, respond, and support one another during a disaster or other public health emergency. Understandings regarding the incident command structure, patient and resource management, processes and policies in place for requesting and sharing of staff, equipment and consumable resources, as well as payment, are generally addressed in a local mutual aid MOU.
The mutual aid support concept is well established and is considered “standard of care” in most emergency response disciplines. The purpose of this mutual aid support agreement is to aid hospitals in their emergency management by authorizing the Hospital Mutual Aid System (H-MAS). H-MAS addresses the loan of medical personnel, pharmaceuticals, supplies, and equipment, or assistance with emergent hospital evacuation, including accepting transferred patients.
2023 Disaster Conference
Rural communities face many challenges and resource limitations. When an emergency arises, it is not the time to scramble to find needed resources. Ideally resource needs have been identified and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) are already in place, ready to access if needed. Rural hospitals are a hub of the community and can lead the way in emergency preparedness collaboration and organization by establishing relationships, contacts and MOUs with business, schools, and community organizations.
Hospital plans for full or partial evacuation should incorporate pre-planning and address the incident command and management structure established for its operational area (community). In advance of an event, Hospitals should understand and incorporate local plans and protocols that are in place to support evacuation and should establish Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with other hospitals, as necessary, for transfer and mutual aid during an emergency.(See CHA Hospital Evacuation Plan Checklist)
A comprehensive guide outlining the process and requirements for hospitals seeking reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Alternative Care Site (ACS) program.
2024 Disaster Conference
This presentation delves into the critical issue of hospital surge and explores the various factors contributing increased patient volume, resource scarcity, and workforce shortages. Also discussed are the potential impacts of hospital surge on patient care quality, health care worker morale, and overall hospital operations.
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CHA has launched a community engagement and education campaign to help lawmakers understand the critical need to provide hospitals with relief from the 2030 seismic requirements.
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) recent white paper covers how useful and beneficial it is for health care facilities to utilize seismic instrumentations, such as various sensors that measure accelerations and displacements.
What else to know: The paper was developed by the Hospital Building Safety Board’s Instrumentation Committee and its information is valuable to hospital owners and managers, operators, design professionals, public officials, and the general public.
2022 Disaster Conference
This presentation helps Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals implement newly revised emergency management chapter standards and elements of performance and understand the new survey process.
2016 Disaster Conference
This presentation outlines the purpose and objectives of the 2016 Statewide Medical and Health
Exercise. The session reviews how hospitals can use the exercise to identify areas for improvement, improve understanding of response procedures, and build collaborative relationships.
