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.
Developed by UC San Diego Health System, this interactive tabletop exercise aims to enhance hospital preparedness for potential active shooter incidents. The exercise engages participants in a realistic scenario that promotes strategic discussions and decision-making regarding roles, communication strategies, and response protocols. Outcomes include building collaboration among various departments, highlighting the importance of coordinated responses […]
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What’s happening: CHA held its annual Disaster Planning Conference in Pasadena on Sept. 10 and 11. Topics included best practices for communication and collaboration in an emergency, treatment of special pathogens, enhancing health care cybersecurity, and fundamentals of radiation protection.
What else to know: More than 500 people attended the conference, including emergency preparedness directors and coordinators; members of hospital disaster planning teams; compliance, nurse, and case managers; and quality and safety executives.
Enacted by Congress in 1986, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) guarantees public access to emergency services without regard to the ability to pay. Under Section 1867 of the Social Security Act, hospitals participating in Medicare and providing emergency services are mandated to conduct a medical screening examination upon request for evaluation or treatment of an emergency medical condition, including active labor, irrespective of the individual’s financial status.
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What’s happening: On Oct. 3, CHA informed members of an IV fluid shortage due to the temporary closure of Baxter International’s North Carolina plant, which supplies 60% of the country’s IV solutions. The facility was damaged by flooding from Hurricane Helene.
What else to know: The update from CHA includes guidance for hospitals to mitigate the impact of the IV shortage.
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On July 18, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released a California Health Advisory Update on Ebola — one day after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a public health emergency of international concern.
The Recovery phase begins when hospital incident command determines that the event is de-escalating or over and that some or all de-mobilization and recovery activities can be initiated.
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 world has been so focused on COVID-19 that it seems summer, and wildfire season, snuck up on us. Responding to wildfires in the midst of a pandemic is another example of how important it is for health care personnel and communities to work together. Preparing and thinking outside the box when it comes to wildfires while dealing with a community spread pandemic helps improve our response.
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Earlier this week, Hurricane Hilary — by then a tropical storm — struck Southern California, bringing record rainfall and widespread flooding from San Diego to Los Angeles and beyond. California hasn’t seen a tropical storm in 26 years, according to The Weather Channel.