Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 1 Saint Leo University Hospital's Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan Sandra Chandler Saint Leo University HCM 550 Date: Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 2 Introduction Once disasters strike, hospitals undertake a fundamental role in the health care system by offering vital medical care to the affected communities. Every incident, which contributes to either loss of infrastructure or even patient surge, like natural disasters, nuclear attacks or acts of terrorism, mostly require not only multijurisdictional but also multifunctional response, as well as, recovery effort that should encompass the offering of health care. In the absence of an appropriate emergency plan, any hospital facility can without doubt become overwhelmed in making an attempt to offer care in the course of a critical event. Inadequate resources, a surge within medical services demand, along with disruption of both communication, as well as, supply lines end up creating a momentous barrier to the offering of health care services (Niska & Shimizu, 2011). It is from that perspective that it has turned out as necessary for every hospital facility to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness, as well as, response plan. The allhazards of the principal actions to be taken by the hospitals while responding to a disaster event will be outlined from now on. Disasters are disturbing realities and come in all shapes and sizes. Certain disasters like fire in a building may impact a small number of people but nonetheless put the health system under intense pressure. However failures of higher order, where large number of casualties occurs, may, however, place a cumbersome and continuous demand on the health system. For certain disasters like floods, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes we usually get prior warning and hospitals can become active and put their emergency plan into action and remain prepared, but for natural disasters like tsunami and earthquakes there is usually no explicit warning. In addition, there are the man-made disasters like state supported terrorism, the rapid increase in use of chemical and biological agents which also give rise to hazards and pose a threat of a mass Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 3 casualty incident (MCI). Saint Leo University Hospital should, therefore, have appropriate emergency plan without which any health care facility will face tremendous problem in case of any critical event leading to mass casualty (Mehta, 2006). Resources are limited and with a surge in medical service demand coupled with disruption of communication and supply lines creating barriers it is of utmost importance that Saint Leo University Hospital facility develops comprehensive disaster preparedness and has a well drawn up response plan in place. Remaining functional and to continue providing the necessary health care services during and immediately after a disaster should be the prime objective of emergency preparedness. In order to fulfill the objective, the following initiatives are suggested to Saint Leo University Hospital. Saint Leo University Hospital management realizes that both natural and man-made disasters could strike at any time, leading to deaths and overwhelming the hospital's resources in terms of unprecedented numbers of victims in critical condition. As such, the management seeks to be always ready for such eventualities. However, doing so requires the concerted efforts of the management, the staff, and other relevant stakeholders such as the government and emergency relief institutions (Lindell et al., 2011). Sound emergency preparedness can only occur when relevant departments within Saint Leo University Hospital have timely and efficient communication among them. Given the fact that the hospital is so expensive, the management realizes that there should be a central unit from where all emergency responses will be coordinated. This calls for a good contingency plan as well. Sometimes, poor communication affects response time, during which time several lives could be lost.The role of central coordination unit would be to handle all issues of communication from one department to another. The emergency service team comes in handy. Proper communication ensures that in Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 4 cases there are warnings of an impending disaster or an actual catastrophe; the emergency team is well prepared psychologically. Co-ordination and Management To be prepared and adequately respond to any disaster, Hospital Incidence Response System (HIRS) should be in place and should be ingrained in practice, updated Periodically and tested through tabletop exercises and drills. The primary objective of HIRS of Saint Leo University Hospital's will be to develop strategies, managing resources and planning and duly implementing the plan in a disaster situation. The management realizes that the primary objective of emergency preparedness is to remain functional and continue offering the essential healthcare services just moments after a disaster strikes. This requires efficient and timely communication, having the necessary emergency response equipment in place. In fact, there should always be emergency response apparatus strategically stored at a convenient location. Emergency preparedness requires proper management and coordination. As such, HIRS should always be in place, undergo periodic updating and testing. This ensures that there are no panics when disaster strikes since the systems will have been proved workable. It is the duty of the management to come up with strategies, manage resources, plan, and duly implement the chosen emergency response plans. Perhaps a major part of any emergency response plan is an implementation. Planning Training and Drill Optimally preparing the staff, institutional resources, volunteers and structures of the hospital for effective performance in different disaster situations should be the main Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 5 Objective of Saint Leo University Hospital's Disaster Management Plan. The plan should be in writing and should be made available to all staff in the hospital. Command and Control It is of great essence to put in place a properly functioning command-and-control system in order to facilitate the effective response to any emergency within the hospital setting. This can be done by activating an ICG (Incident Command Group) or institute an ad hoc ICG, that is, a supervisory body whose responsibilities entail offering directions on matters concerning hospital-based management of emergencies. It has been established that an ICG is of great essence for active development, as well as, management of both hospital-based systems, as well as, procedures needed for what can be considered as successful emergency response. One of the recommended actions is designating a hospital center of command within the Saint Leo University Hospital, that is, a certain location made ready for the convening and coordinating with hospital-wide emergency response activities. Such locations should also be equipped with adequate and reliable communication avenues (Joint Commission, 2008). Information and Communication It should be noted that in the times of emergencies, it is necessary to have not only clear but also accurate, as well as, timely communication in order to be confident of adequate collaboration, as well as, cooperation; informed decision making together with public awareness along with trust (Nelson et al., 2007). The recommended action is that the Saint Leo University Hospital management should appoint a qualified media spokesperson who will be responsible for coordinating communication between the hospital and the general public, the media, as well as, Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 6 health authorities. In addition, a space should be designated for press conferences, most preferably within the proximity of the command center. There should be a Hospital Disaster Management Committee (HDMC), and they should timely communicate information to ensure effective collaboration and cooperation and should also have an efficient system of alarm to create public awareness. Information Desk should be in place to provide information at regular intervals and to serve as a center for volunteer mobilization. A list of casualties and their status should be displayed and periodically updated. Timely communication during disasters reduces instances of panic (Lindell et al., 2011). The management will have been able to pass the important message to relevant departments and address logistics such as staff capacity to handle the situation; communication with emergency relief bodies such as the Red Cross and other hospitals that could come in handy in dealing with the unprecedented numbers of casualties and deaths. In times of emergencies, teamwork is important because people's lives are on the line. When emergency response teams work together, issues such as poor coordination are addressed. Everyone knows the parts they are supposed to play. Effects of failed communication are significantly reduced and victims in critical conditions can be responded to before their conditions worsen, or even die (Lindell et al., 2011). Practical implementation of an emergency response plan requires proper leadership, coordination, teamwork, and most importantly, effective communication among various groups assigned specific tasks. For instance, in the case of Saint Leo University Hospital, they may need to ensure that they continually communicate with the rescue teams at locations of the disasters, and coordinate how the victims and casualties will be transported to the hospital (Lindell et al., 2011). Conversely, they need to be in constant communication with the emergency response Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan team at the hospital. But what exactly does it take to institute an emergency response team that will react to efficiently to disasters? Safety and Security Well-developed safety, as well as, security procedures are necessary for not only the hospital functions maintenance but also for incident response duties in the course of a disaster. In that regard, the Saint Leo University Hospital management will have to constitute a security team, which will be responsible for all matters related to safety within the facility. Part of the said security team mandate will be the prioritization of safety needs by working in partnership with the ICG (Workgroup, 2000). securitySaint Leo University Hospital should have safety and safety management protocols to describe the processes so as to reduce the risk of injuries to individuals and should be applicable to all personnel, physicians, and departments. The is no questioning the fact that a well-developed safety and security procedures are essential for not only the hospital's functioning but also for incidence response functions during a disaster. The Safety and Security Management activities shall be coordinated by the Hospital Disaster Management Committee (HDMC) in association with all concerned stakeholders, internal and external. Effective coordination of events during a disaster requires disaster management skills, explaining the need to train the staff on how to handle accidents and emergency. As such, the Control unit is tasked with providing resources that will furnish emergency response teams with the dos and don ts of emergency disaster response. Even most important is having the right capacity to handle unexpected workload during disasters. In brief, communication is essential 7 Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 8 and should be accurate, timely and useful. It is the role of the Control Unit to appoint a public health spokesperson to relay such information. Continuity of Essential Services St. Leo University Hospital should remember that a disaster does not put any halt on the day-to-day requirement for essential medical and surgical services for emergency care, urgent operations, maternal and child care which are carried out under normal circumstances. It should be kept in mind that the availability of essential services needs to continue in parallel with the activation of a hospital emergency response plan (Government of India, 2013). Human Resources It is essential to have an effective human resource management in order to make sure that there is adequate staff capacity in addition to continuity of operations in the course of the type of incidents, which contribute towards increased human resources demand. In order to manage the human resource effectively, it is recommended that to maintain a well updated hospital staff contact list. It is also advisable to estimate, as well as, monitor staff absenteeism continuously. Most of all, staffing requirements have to be prioritized, and distribution of personnel carried out accordingly (Qureshi et al., 2005). Logistics and Supply Management In most of the cases, hospitals find it challenging to ensure continuity of their suppliers along with deliveries in the times of disasters. This is mostly due to the failure to undertake the required contingency planning, as well as, response beforehand. In that regard, the Saint Leo University Hospital management will have to avoid falling into that category by developing and Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 9 maintaining an up-to-date inventory of each equipment, supplies, inclusive of pharmaceuticals in addition to developing a shortage-alert mechanism (World Health Organization, 2011). Post-Disaster Recovery The post-disaster recovery planning is primarily carried out during the inception of response activities. It has been established that once the recovery efforts are implemented in a prompt manner, it plays a significant role in the mitigation of the long-term impact of any disaster on the hospital operations. Therefore, it will be advisable for the Saint Leo University Hospital administration to recruit a not only highly qualified but also experienced disaster recovery officer whose responsibility will mainly be to oversee the hospital recovery operation. The Disaster Management team of St. Leo University Hospital should conduct the Postdisaster recovery planning at the onset of response activities. A disaster can have a long term impact on the hospital's operation. Therefore, prompt implementation of improvement efforts can help mitigate a disaster's long-term effects. The Disaster Recovery Officer will be responsible for overseeing the hospital's recovery operations (World Health Organisation, 2011). It is also advised that the hospital establish a post-disaster employee recovery assistance program according to staff needs, and also show appropriate recognition of the services provided by staff, volunteers, external personnel and donors during disaster response and recovery. Involvement of Volunteers In the event of a pandemic or disaster situation, volunteers can be as asset. However, they should be trained assigned and supervised by the management system. Designation of responsibility should be done through a volunteer coordination team. A Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 10 Volunteer may have the role in preparedness, response or recovery. Since the mobilization of volunteers are primarily done by the local government or nonprofit organizations, the St. Leo University Hospital should be in constant touch with them and include them in Drills to get them acquainted with a disaster situation. Participation in nursing and medical student as volunteers also can help to raise the knowledge of the respective college or campus (Kolleck, 2013). Effective planning involves enlisting support of volunteers, mobilizing resources from the government, well-wishers and non-profit organizations such as Red Cross. An effective disaster emergency response team must also ensure that there are enough institutional structures and resources to meet unexpected number of casualties and serious cases. In other words, such plans must always be well laid down, and the emergency response teams should always be aware of their roles. How can this be achieved? Proper coordination for emergency preparedness begins with instituting an active Command Station from where the necessary intervention and coordination will be carried out. This is the body that oversees proper communication and teamwork among all stakeholders pertaining to emergency response (Lindell et al., 2011). Of the essence is to handle the situation expertly and in a logical sequence as opposed to the panic and rush typical of most disasters. Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 11 References: Joint Commission. (2008). Standing Together: An Emergency Planning Guide for America's Communities. Nelson, C., Lurie, N., Wasserman, J., Zakowski, S., & Leuschner, K. J. (2007). Conceptualizing and defining public health emergency preparedness. National Emergency Training Center. Niska, R. W., & Shimizu, I. (2011). Hospital preparedness for emergency response: United States, 2008. Qureshi, K., Gershon, R. R., Sherman, M. F., Straub, T., Gebbie, E., McCollum, M., ... & Morse, S. S. (2005). Health care workers' ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. Journal of urban health, 82(3), 378-388. Workgroup, P. (2000). Biological and chemical terrorism: strategic plan for preparedness and response. MMWR, 49, 1-14. World Health Organization. (2011). Hospital Emergency Response Checklist: An All-hazards Tool for Hospital Administrators and Emergency Managers. PDF Document. Regional Office for Europe. Disaster and mass casualty management in a hospital: How well are we prepared? [Journal] / auth. Mehta Sanjay // Journal of Posrgraduate Medicine. - 2006. Disaster Preparedness for Health Care Facilities [Book Section] = Volunteers / auth. Kolleck Daniel. - [s.l.] : People Medical Publishing House USA, 2013. Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 12 Hospital Emergency Checklost [Journal] / auth. World Health Organisation. - [s.l.] : WHO Regional Office Europe, 2011. NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES [Report] / auth. Goverment of India. 2013. Lindell, M. K., Tierney, K. J., & Perry, R. W. (2011). Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States. Joseph Henry Press