2023 Disaster Conference
The Children’s Hospital of Orange County reviewed strategies for managing the pediatric winter viral surge, including implementing surge plans and decompression measures, to optimize patient flow. This presentation addresses best practices and lessons learned with the goal of equipping hospitals to be prepared to meet the inevitable pediatric winter viral surge.
Hospitals play a critical role in safeguarding the health and safety of all individuals during disaster events, particularly those from vulnerable populations. These groups—such as the elderly, children, individuals with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, and non-English speakers—often face unique challenges during crises, making tailored disaster planning essential.
Hospitals can help deter crime, violent incidents, and terrorism through reporting of suspicious activity.
The California State Threat Assessment System is an all-hazards information sharing partnership of Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies to connect suspicious activity reporting for potential terrorism or security issues. This partnership connects law enforcement through a network of interconnected Regional Threat Assessment Centers (RTACs) in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento.
The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) serves as a critical tool for hospitals to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist incidents, ensuring patient and staff safety. Hospitals can use this system for important updates on the threat levels, potential terrorist activities, and for staying informed about evolving threats. Hospitals should also integrate NTAS alerts into their emergency planning and response strategies.
This tool serves as a guide for understanding the legal context of public health emergency management on health care providers. It outlines the implications for and health care providers, covering key legal frameworks, including the Public Health Service Act and the Stafford Act, emphasizing their role in facilitating emergency responses during health crises. The tool also discusses the powers granted to federal and state authorities, coordination among agencies, and the importance of maintaining public safety and health during emergencies.
This tool is designed to address these challenges by providing a curriculum that can be used to train hospital personnel on how to prepare for and respond to the psychological consequences of large-scale disasters. The training has three modules that are intended to be used either as standalone training or in combination depending on the facility and audience needs:
This self-assessment tool assists hospitals in evaluating their preparedness for bomb threats. It outlines key assessment areas, including policies, staff training, communication protocols, and emergency response plans.
The Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA) is a public-private-grassroots partnership of organizations, working together to improve earthquake and tsunami preparedness, mitigation, and resiliency.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO developed this guide as a basis for forming a strong community tsunami readiness policy. It provides a general plan of action and basic framework for dealing with the unique hazards resulting from tsunamis.