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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On March 4, Congressional leaders reached a deal on an $8.3 billion spending package to combat the novel coronavirus. The Senate subsequently passed the measure, and the President has signed it.
The bill, H.R. 6074 (116), provides new discretionary spending to bolster vaccine development, research, equipment stockpiles, and state and local health budgets. Key components are:
$400 million will be sent to state and local governments within 30 days after the bill is enacted, with each state receiving at least $4 million. $490 million in mandatory spending by lifting constraints on Medicare payments for telehealth so beneficiaries can freely consult their doctors remotely — avoiding hospitals and physicians’ offices, where they might risk exposure to the virus $836 million to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics $10 million will be allocated to worker-based training to prevent and reduce exposure for hospital employees, emergency first responders, and other workers on the front lines. $3.1 billion to shore up medical supplies and supplement the Strategic National Stockpile, including:
$100 million for community health centers $826 million for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the development of coronavirus vaccines, treatments, and tests $2.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including $950 million to support the response efforts of state and local health agencies; about half of that must be allocated in the next 30 days. $61 million for the FDA for vaccines and other efforts to counter the virus, keeping up with shortages in medical products, and efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing of those items
$1.3 billion for the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development for aiding the global fight against the virus Raises the cap from $10 million to $100 million for emergency evacuations $20 million to the Small Business Administration to increase the number of loans for businesses affected by the outbreak $136 million to replace funds recently shifted from various health accounts, including mental health and substance abuse programs
CHA will continue to work with members of the California congressional delegation to respond to member hospitals’ needs.
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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.
COVID-19 brought about unforeseen challenges and solutions, forever changing the face of emergency readiness. With gritty determination and endless perseverance, you demonstrated day in and day out how valuable you are to keeping our communities safe and healthy.
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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.
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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.
