About Emergency Preparedness
It’s time to change the way California thinks about disaster response. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that hospitals can quickly mobilize to provide flexible approaches to patient care during a disaster. The state must draw upon these lessons to prepare differently so the next crisis will be less severe. Given California’s size and complexity, the health care disaster response system of the future must be nimble enough to respond to any catastrophe. More information on disaster response can be found on the Cal Hospital Prepare website.
2024 Disaster Planning Conference Only Two Weeks Away
What’s happening: CHA will host the 2024 Disaster Planning Conference in Pasadena on Sept. 10 and 11. Presentations will cover everything from vulnerability assessments and business continuity planning to firsthand accounts of various disasters and best practices hospitals can implement to be better prepared.
What else to know: Registration is open.
CHA to Host Webinar on Buffer Zone Approach to Hospital Crowding
What’s happening: CHA will host a members-only webinar on The Buffer Zone: A Novel Approach to Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Surge in the Era of Hospital Crowding on Aug. 26 from 10-11 a.m. (PT). Registration is open.
What else to know: In this session, Scott Goldberg, MD, MPH, medical director of emergency preparedness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will highlight the hospital’s experience with developing and implementing buffer zones as part of their institution’s MCI plans and highlight the lessons learned during the operationalization of their buffer zone plan.
New CMS Requirements for Reporting of Hospital Respiratory Data to NHSN
What’s happening: Beginning on Nov. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will require acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals to electronically report information via the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) about COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
What else to know: CMS will also require hospitals to provide a weekly snapshot of hospitalizations, admissions, bed capacity and occupancy, and weekly totals for new admissions for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV to provide situational awareness of the impact of these respiratory diseases.
Early Bird Pricing for CHA Disaster Planning Conference Ends Tomorrow
What’s happening: CHA will host the 2024 Disaster Planning Conference in Pasadena on Sept. 10 and 11 to discuss disaster planning, training, and implementation.
What else to know: Registration is open. Early bird pricing ends Aug. 9, and the hotel room block closes Aug. 19.
Park Fire Reminds Us All of the Importance of Hospitals
The Park Fire — now California’s fourth-largest wildfire — started on July 24 and has consumed more than 425,000 acres in Tehama and Butte counties. Fortunately, there have been no injuries or deaths attributed to the blaze.
Critical Deadline Approaches for AB 40 Compliance
What’s happening: All hospitals with emergency departments must submit ambulance patient offload time (APOT) reduction protocols to the Emergency Medical Services Authority by Sept. 1.
The Buffer Zone: A Novel Approach to MCI Surge in the Era of Hospital Crowding
Creating immediate surge capacity for critically injured patients in a mass casualty incident (MCI) is critical in MCI response. However, the current era of hospital overcrowding and emergency department (ED) boarding has undermined the ability of the ED to create surge capacity. Brigham and Women’s Hospital has leveraged the buffer zone concept within their ED […]
CHA to Host Webinar on Preparing for Extreme Heat and Smoke Impact in Clinical Settings
What’s happening: CHA will host the members-only Preparing for Extreme Heat and Smoke Impact in Clinical Settings webinar on Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. (PT).
What else to know: The webinar addresses heat-related emergency response plans and protocols and leads into the 2024 Disaster Planning Conference on Sept. 10-11. Registration is open.
Preparing for Extreme Heat and Smoke Impact in Clinical Settings
HCAI Releases New Guidance on Alternate On-Site Power Sources
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) released new guidance on the use of on-site alternate sources of power other than diesel generator(s) to be used as the essential electrical system (EES) power source(s).
What else to know: HCAI released a new code of application notice (CAN) on health care microgrids. The amendment in the 2022 California Electrical Code, effective July 1, is intended to permit the use of on-site alternate sources of power other than diesel generator(s) to be used as the EES power source(s).