Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) Program Overview and Benefits of Integrating ESAR-VHP and the Medical Reserve Corps 2005 Annual Medical Reserve Corps National Leadership Conference April 21, 2005 Health Resources and Services Administration Healthcare Systems Bureau Division of Healthcare Preparedness ESAR-VHP Program Marilyn Biviano, Director, ESAR-VHP

2 Presentation Overview Background of ESAR-VHP Program and Technical and Policy Guidelines Standards and Definitions (Guidelines) Guidelines – how they are being developed, tested and implemented ESAR-VHP Credentialing & Resource Typing –Benefits of Advance Credentialing Benefits of Integrating MRC and ESAR-VHP ESAR-VHP Reports, Papers and Tools Appendix

3 Background of ESAR-VHP Program and Technical and Policy Guidelines, Standards and Definitions (Guidelines)

4 ESAR-VHP Legislative Mandate Public Law—PL , directs the development of (State based) Emergency Systems for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals, or ESAR-VHP. 1/ Health and Human Services (HHS) has delegated the ESAR-VHP development to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 1/ Public Law—PL , Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Section 107

5 Health care personnel surge capacity is ESSENTIAL! Physical Surge Capacity (e.g. Hospitals) (NBHPP) Health Care Personnel Surge Capacity (ESAR-VHP and MRC) + = Health care Preparedness Training (NBHPP & BHPr) +

6 Building a State-based National System State ESAR-VHPs must be built to national standards and definitions so that they can be shared and utilized across State lines. Credentialing (verification of qualifications) and DHS National Incident Management System (NIMS) Resource Typing is at the core of developing a National system.

Guidelines—how they are being developed, tested and implemented.

8 STATE ESAR-VHP ESAR-VHP Essential Partners PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS Health Professional Assoc. (AMA, ANA) JCAHO AHA NCSBN FSMB ABMS Red Cross FEDERAL PARTNERS Medical Reserve Corps Federal CDC HHS DHS FEMA USPHS Readiness Corps Citizen Corps HRSA Technical and Policy Guidelines, Definitions & Standards STATE NBHPP Grantees (62)

9 The Guidelines cover the entire spectrum of advance registration, development and operation features. MassachusettsOperations and Maintenance District of ColumbiaNational Working Group Chair OhioData Definitions and Naming Conventions IllinoisFunding and Cost ConnecticutRecruitment and Volunteer Advocacy TexasTraining Missouri Regionalizing and Nationalizing the ESAR-VHP Project CaliforniaAuthorities and Emergency Operations WisconsinSecurity, Privacy, and Communications MinnesotaCredentialing and NIMS Resource Typing West VirginiaSystem Design and Content State ChairIssue Topic Each Issue Topic is supported by a national working group

ESAR-VHP Credentialing and Resource Typing Credentialing, Privileging and National Incident Management System (NIMS) Resource Typing

11 Credentialing, Privileging, and NIMS Resource Typing  Credentialing is the process of obtaining, verifying, and assessing the qualifications of a health volunteer.  Resource Typing Within the ESAR-VHP program, resource typing is a uniform process of classifying a health care volunteer based on verified credentials and consistent with the NIMS credentialing system.

12 Benefits of Advance Credentialing and Resource Typing of Emergency Medical Volunteers Reduces credentialing burden for emergency care delivery, e.g., hospitals. Allows scarce specialist resources to be allocated according to need (e.g., orthopedic surgeon, anesthesiologist, thoracic surgeon).

13 Benefits of Advance Credentialing and Resource Typing Emergency Medical Volunteers, cont. Credentials standards and verification and resource typing will permit volunteers to be used at the highest possible level. –Building “hospital ready” volunteer workforce Resource typing (based on credentialing standards): –facilitates intra and interstate sharing of scarce medical volunteers.

Benefits of Integrating the MRCs and State ESAR-VHPs

15 Benefits of Integrating MRC and State ESAR-VHP Precious health profession volunteer resources are maximized and coordinated. Integration may reduce MRC operation cost, for example, cost of verifying volunteer’s credentials.

16 Benefits of Integrating MRC and State ESAR-VHP, cont. MRC volunteer may be eligible (through ESAR-VHP) for benefits under state declared emergency authorities –malpractice liability protection –workmen’s compensation

17 Benefits of Integrating MRC and State ESAR-VHP, cont. Integration provides for a seamless linking of State and local medical volunteer emergency response efforts that will: –Reduce emergency response time, –Increase capability to respond to bigger emergencies within a state, and –Enable interstate responses—EMAC is a state-to-state response.

ESAR-VHP Reports, Papers, and Tools

19 ESAR-VHP Reports, Papers, and Tools: Interim Technical and Policy Guidelines, Standards, and Definitions—A “Handbook” that provides a set of recommendations and approaches for developing, implementing, and maintaining an ESAR-VHP system. (Available Soon) Legal and Regulatory Issues—Examines and summarizes areas of law relevant to ESAR-VHP, such as emergency declarations, licensing, credentialing, liability and workmen’s compensation issues.

20 ESAR-VHP Reports, cont: Hospital Implementation Issues and Solutions Focus Group Meeting Report—Identifies and assess hospital issues as they relate to the development and implementation of an ESAR-VHP system. Will the States’ ESAR-VHP Build Adequate Hospital Personnel Surge Capacity—A White Paper that discusses the options for credential verification of health professionals and the implications of not meeting hospital level verification standards.

21 ESAR-VHP Reports, cont: ESAR-VHP Legal and Regulatory Issues Draft Toolkit – Provides information, contacts, and resources to help you assess of many of the legal issues that may arise during implementation of your States ESAR-VHP system. Includes, among other items, a checklist and model documents.

22 Easy to use registration tool will allow MRCs to collect the information needed to verify credentials and assign resource types to volunteers. MRC Credentialing Portal Pilot

23 Please visit the ESAR-VHP & MRC Project Table to learn more about:  ESAR-VHP & MRC integration plans  MRC Credentialing Portal Project ESAR-VHP will also be discussed in the following presentations later today:  Integrating MRC and ESAR-VHP across Minnesota  Database and Reporting Options for Local MRCs, Jeff Reilly, Westchester County MRC MRC Credentialing Portal Pilot

Additional Information Marilyn Biviano, Director ESAR-VHP HSB, Division of Healthcare Preparedness Room 13C Fishers Lane Rockville, MD

APPENDIX

26 Credentialing and Resource Typing High Priority Occupations Bold = Draft Resource Typing Completed

27 Timeline for State-Based ESAR-VHP ESAR-VHP Focus group meeting Develop Guidelines and common definitions and assess hospital, liability, and other key implementation issues. May 2004 Develop baseline number of ESAR- VHP providers (update annually) NBHPP FY04 Supplement to 30 States to pilot guidelines and develop systems *Remaining NBHPP awardees supplemental approved but unfunded 2 nd ESAR- VHP Focus Group Meeting Jan Complete Interim Guidelines, issue analysis & best practices Nov Sept. 2004

28 July 2005 Dec ESAR-VHP systems initiated Timeline for State-Based ESAR-VHP , cont’d June 2005 Pilot test Guidelines in 10 States and refine Guidelines Sept NBHPP FY 05 Award to 32 States to develop systems. Provide technical assistance to 20 States. Conduct regional focus and technical assistance meetings and refine Guidelines 30 (Total) ESAR- VHPs initiated. Guidelines revised. Jan ESAR-VHP Focus Group Meeting

29 Jan Dec Timeline for State-Based ESAR-VHP , cont’d Provide technical assistance to remaining (32) States and jurisdictions in development of their ESAR-VHP. Conduct regional focus and technical assistance meetings and refine Guidelines. June 2006

30 HI AK CA OR WA ID MT TX SD WY NV OK KS NE CO NM AZ UT ND SC MN WI IO MO AR LA VA NC GA FL AL MS IL WV KY TN NY PA IN OH MI DE NJ CT RI MA ME DC MD NHVT PR - (Puerto Rico) VI - (U.S. Virgin Islands) PHASE III PHASE I PHASE II Phases of ESAR-VHP Development and Technical Assistance

31 Credentialing, Privileging, and NIMS Resource Typing of Physicians Initial Guidelines focus on credentialing requirements for physicians, registered nurses, and behavioral health professionals 1/. We will expeditiously add additional professions. 1/ Psychologists, medical and public health social workers, mental and substance abuse social workers, marriage and family therapists and clinical mental health counselors.