Search Results for: "Evacuation"

Showing 41 - 50 of 400 results

Increasing Knowledge and Perceptions of Disaster Preparedness: A Brief Educational Intervention

2022 Disaster Conference – Best Practice Showcase

The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles shares their review of evacuation plans, and details the critical need for health care organizations to plan for addressing evacuation, educate hospital staff on response procedures, and practice protocols through drills and exercises. The process identifies gaps in processes and staff education and helps engage stakeholders to review the organization’s plan and pilot educational interventions.

Jenifer Nyhuis Receives Šimanek Distinguished Service Award

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

Jenifer Nyhuis, CEO of Vista del Mar Hospital in Ventura, was presented with the 2019 Šimanek Distinguished Service Award on Dec. 9 during the 14th annual Behavioral Health Care Symposium in Riverside. Named for its first recipient, attorney Joe Šimanek, the award recognizes outstanding leadership and achievements in the behavioral health setting.

Patients Safe, Health Facilities Operational After Major Earthquakes

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

Patients at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital and Bella Sera Skilled Nursing Facility are safe, and both facilities are fully operating except for minor repairs after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 5 and a 6.4 magnitude tremor the day before, both centered near Ridgecrest. After the first quake on July 4, the critical access hospital’s patients were evacuated, but the Emergency Department continued to triage incoming patients, directing them to other facilities as needed. Following the even larger earthquake on July 5, Bella Sera Skilled Nursing Facility lost power and worked with local, regional and state partners to prepare for evacuation, which ultimately wasn’t necessary.

Disaster Preparedness

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

CHA has published an issue paper titled Disaster Preparedness: A Way of Life for California Hospitals, describing federal and state requirements for hospitals and how they work every day to be ready for disasters of all kinds, including earthquakes. The issue paper notes that, in many situations, an evacuation — rather than a shelter-in-place strategy — is necessary for patient safety.

Hospitals Reminded of Employee Safety Obligations During Wildfires

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

Wildfires pose many challenges for hospitals — evacuating patients, employee concerns for the safety of their family members, and exposure to wildfire smoke. As reported previously in CHA News, Cal/OSHA recently adopted emergency regulations governing employer obligations to employees exposed to wildfire smoke when the air quality index reaches 151.  

Active Shooter Training Video

This instructive video from the US Department of Homeland Security demonstrates possible actions to take if confronted with an active shooter scenario. The video reviews the choices of evacuating, hiding, or, as an option of last resort, challenging the shooter. The video also shows how to assist authorities once law enforcement enters the scene.

Lessons Learned: Building Integrated Firestorm Response and Recovery

2018 Disaster Conference

Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health presenters share how their organizations responded to wildfires that caused their hospitals to evacuate in October 2017. The session details operational impacts as well as recovery efforts taken by both health systems to restore hospital services to the community. Presenters shared lessons learned from these events and highlight opportunities for improved performance.

CDPH Issues Hot Summer Weather Advisory

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

The California Department of Public Health’s Licensing and Certification Program has issued a reminder to health care facilities that, as the hot summer weather begins, they should have contingency plans in place to deal with the potential loss of air conditioning; ensure patients and residents are free of adverse conditions that may cause heat-related complications; and report extreme heat conditions that compromise patient health or require evacuation, transfer, or discharge of patients. More information and guidance are available in All Facilities Letter 19-21.

Cal/OSHA Adopts Emergency Regulations on Wildfire Smoke Exposure

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

Last week, the Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved an emergency regulation aimed at protecting outdoor workers from the effects of wildfire smoke. The regulation is pending with the Office of Administrative Law and is expected to be approved and take effect in early August. 

New Resources Help Meet Serious Mental Illness Needs in Disasters

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a series of resources intended to help providers incorporate, in their disaster planning, strategies to care for patients with serious mental illness.