This presentation outlines California’s Public Health and Medical Response System, identifies healthcare facilities’ role in the system, and details best practices and lessons-learned from events.
Evacuation of a health care facility may be necessary following an emergency such as a facility fire or damage from a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flooding. The decision to evacuate a health care facility will be based on the ability of the facility to meet the medical needs of the patients. Immediate threats to life, such as internal fires or unstable structures, will require emergent evacuation, while other situations may allow for a planned and phased evacuation.
This presentation from Barton Health provides insights on response and business continuity plans in the event of a wildfire evacuation. Presenters share lessons learned from the full-scale evacuation of Barton Memorial Hospital and skilled-nursing facility in response to the Caldor Fire. The presentation reviews the logistical challenges of evacuating and repopulating a bi-state rural health care system, explore staffing and personnel challenges and considerations, and shares lessons learned.
2024 Disaster Conference
This presentation focuses on the dynamics of emergency preparedness under adverse conditions, where collaboration and communication faced unique challenges within an unfamiliar setting. Gain insights into the complexities of managing power outages while ensuring the safety and well-being of all those involved and obtain lessons learned for enhancing emergency preparedness response strategies.
AHRQ has released a model to help federal, state, and local emergency planners estimate the vehicles, drivers, road capacity and other resources they will need to evacuate patients and others from health care facilities in disaster areas.
This guide is designed to help organize the initial assessment of a hospital upon return after an evacuation/closure due to an emergency event. The specific assessments are meant to be conducted by hospital staff to assess the level and locations of damage sustained by the hospital, and provide information that will be needed to create the full recovery plan. This guide will be particularly useful for assessing a hospital that has sustained significant or widespread damage.
EMSA/CDPH Collaboration The California Patient Movement Plan provides statewide guidance for large-scale patient movement and serves as framework for local planning efforts. Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will conduct training and exercises based on the plan.
CHA developed the attached the Shelter-In-Place Planning Checklist, which includes a decision-making algorithm for shelter-in-place and evacuation activation and may be used to assist hospitals with developing, reviewing, or updating their plans. The checklist is intended to help hospitals ensure that elements listed have been addressed in their plans, policies, and procedures.
2023 Disaster Conference – Best Practice Showcase
Shared by the Alameda County Emergency Services Agency, the California Patient Movement Surge Playbook Poster outlines a framework for managing complex patient transfers and hospital capacity challenges during catastrophic events. It identifies gaps in patient movement, coordination priorities, and best practices.
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.