1. Hospital Emergency Management
The safety officer wrote the disaster plan!
What am I supposed to do?

2. Hospital emergency management has changed over the past few years...
Until recently, hospitals planned response to mass casualty disasters (Alert 1), fire, and a few natural disasters (tornado, earthquake) that could impact the facility.

3. emergencies that looks like this…
Now hospitals conduct
an annual hazard
vulnerability
analysis and come up
with a list of
emergencies that looks
like this…
This list takes into account
probability
impact on institution
institutional preparedness

4. Emergency Management has evolved beyond response planning. It includes:
Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
and
Recovery

5. Because of the numbers and kinds of emergencies that can impact a hospital, most begin planning with a basic infrastructure...

6. JCAHO and NFPA 99 require an “all-hazards” incident command structure that...
Can be coordinated with the command system in the community
Uses the same terminology as the community ICS
Is flexible enough to allow activation and deactivation of components, based on the specific event

7. Both JCAHO and NFPA also require a structure that explicitly allows for the management of...
Patient care
Staff/family support
Logistics of critical supplies
Media
Security

9. What is HEICS? An “all-hazards” command structure
A universal link with outside resources

10. HEICS provides... A dependable chain of command
Improved communication through common language
Flexibility
Prioritization of tasks
Organized documentation system
Effective mutual aid planning
The Fayette County Healthcare Emergency Planning Committee has adopted HEICS.
As a result, all acute care hospitals will begin using the HEICS structure.

11. HEICS Tools
Organization chart
Job Action Sheets
Forms

12. Basic Units of HEICS Organization
PI Officer
Safety Officer
Security Officer
Liaison
Incident Commander
Section Chiefs
Directors
Unit Leaders
Officers +
= Command Center

13. Five sections…one mission... To respond to the emergency at hand.
Command Center
Logistics
Planning
Finance
Operations

14. Command Center Defines the mission and ensures its completion.

15. Logistics Provides for a working environment and adequate materials to meet the overall medical objective.

16. Planning Determines and provides for the continuance of each medical objective. Prompts and drives all HEICS officers to develop short- and long-range action plans.

17. Finance Provides funding for present medical objective and stresses facility-wide documentation to maximize financial recovery and reduction of liability.

18. Operations Carries out the medical objective to the best of the hospital’s ability.

20. Job Action Sheets Your disaster response job descriptions Tell you
What you are going to do
When you are going to do it
To whom you are going to report it after you have done it.
Universal titles and missions allow emergency responders from a variety of agencies to communicate.

21. HEICS Forms Used with job assignments
Can be altered in any way necessary
Documentation = $$$

22. The Language of Emergency Management
Liaison
HEICS
Logistics
All Hazards Approach
Command Center
Finance
Operations
Planning
Labor Pool

23. Future changes...
To specific disaster plans (to reflect HEICS structure)
Emergency code names (to make consistent with other hospitals and emergency responders)
JCAHO Emergency Management standards

24. Advance planning for Medical Care Director
Establishing an Operations Section Center, including locations and staffing
Assessing staffing, supply, equipment needs in patient care settings.
Emergency inpatient discharge. (See Nursing Unit Leader.)
Communicating with patient care areas. (See Communications Unit Leader.)
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:

25. Advance planning for Medical Staff Director
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:
Establishing a physician labor pool. (See Medical Staff Unit Leader.)
Credentialing volunteer medical staff. (See Medical Staff Unit Leader.)
Assessing physician staffing needs and assigning physicians.

26. Advance planning for In-Patient Areas
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:
Assessing inpatients for early discharge. (See Nursing Staff Unit Leader.)
Establishing alternate inpatient care sites within the facility.
Assessing staffing, supply, equipment needs in patient care settings.

27. Advance planning for Treatment Areas
Establishing emergency treatment areas, including location and staffing.
Assessing staffing, supply, and equipment needs in treatment areas. (See Medical Care Director.)
Assessing security needs in treatment areas.
Moving patients through treatment areas to discharge or admission.(See Transportation Leader.)
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:

28. Advance planning for Ancillary Services
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:
Inventorying available blood supply.
Evaluating ancillary services’ capacity to perform services required by emergency.
Tracking patients to ensure results reporting. (See Patient Tracking Officer.)
Assessing staffing, supply, and equipment needs.)

29. Advance planning for Human Services
The Operations Chief will
require written plans for:
Establishing Human Services Center, including location and staffing.
Implementing emergency discharge procedures. (See Nursing Staff Unit Leader.)
Establishing staff rest, nutrition, and sleeping areas, including location and staffing.
Keeping staff updated regarding emergency status. (See Situation-Status Unit Leader.)
Establishing staff psychological support and debriefing areas, including location and staffing.
Establishing a dependent care area, including location and staffing.
Identifying dependents.
Assessing materials and supply needs.

30. The Planning Chief will require written plans:
Advance planning for Situation-Status Unit
Maintenance and recovery of computer systems
Security of medical records
The Planning Chief will require written plans:

31. Advance planning for Labor Pool
The Planning Chief will
require written plans for:
Establishing the labor pool, including location and staffing
Registration and credentialing of volunteer staff

32. Advance Planning for Logistics of Critical Supplies
The logistics section chief will require a written plan and procedures for procuring, handling, and distributing...
Pharmaceuticals
Medical supplies
Food supplies
Linen
Water
Critical Equipment

33. Advance planning for Communications Logistics
Other areas/departments within hospital
Other facilities
External agencies
Alternative communications plan for all major communication systems
The logistics section chief will require a written plan and procedures for communicating with…
In addition, the chief will require an...

34. Advance planning for Transportation Logistics
Patients
Staff
Equipment
to or from other facilities
Staff to and from hospital during bad weather
Critical supplies
The logistics section chief will require a written plan and procedures for transportation of...

35. Advance planning for Medical Staff Unit
The Planning Chief will
require written plans for:
Establishing a physician labor pool, including location and staffing
Registration and credentialing of volunteer medical staff

36. Advance planning for Nursing Unit
The Planning Chief will
require written plans for:
Emergency Inpatient discharge
Patient Tracking
Release of Patient Information
Recalling Nursing Staff