Public health emergencies, natural disasters, and mass casualty events require hospitals to implement triage protocols to prioritize care based on patient severity and treatment likelihood. Hospitals must strive for equitable access, particularly for vulnerable populations, while addressing the ethical implications of resource allocation.
2021 Virtual Disaster Conference
Presented by UC Davis Health, this session offers a unique perspective to Crisis Standards of Care, offering strategies for operating with scarce resources in disaster events. Learn how this system convened a group of physicians, bio-ethicists, communications specialists, and disaster planners to work through this incredibly arduous topic.
Older adults face unique challenges during disasters. Planning for their needs in a disaster event should include factors including mobility limitations, health conditions, and medication needs.
The Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition provides technical assistance to ESRD Networks, Medicare organizations, and other groups to ensure timely and efficient disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for the kidney community.
Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children during times of disaster. Just as they consult their child’s doctor for health issues, they can also reach out to healthcare providers, mental health professionals, or school staff for assistance and guidance in the aftermath of a disaster event. These tools, provided by the County of Los Angeles, provide guidance in (English and Spanish) for seeking psychological first aid following a disaster.
All hospitals should plan for pediatric patients arriving during a disaster. Developed and shared by the New York City of Department of Health, the following document addresses the issues surrounding pediatric emergency care during a disaster.
Particular aspects of emergency care for children may be especially difficult for rural hospitals to meet, as they often have less access to pediatric and emergency medicine trained physicians.
Developed and shared by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, these clinical checklists, guides, and just-in-time references to manage a surge of pediatric patients.
Developed by the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles & LA County EMS Agency, this resource provides essential strategies for hospitals to enhance their emergency preparedness for a pediatric surge event.
Shared by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this tool addresses the special medical needs of children, and emphasizes how health care facilities must be prepared for both pediatric and adult victims of bio-terrorism attacks, including those resulting from dispersal of airborne or food borne agents.