HRSA Hospital Disaster Preparedness Up-Date

February 2007

I.      HICS IV

Registration for “Train the Trainer” - HICS IV (Hospital Incident Command System) is now CLOSED. HICS IV is available on-line at www.emsa.ca.gov. There are four training sessions:

·        Eau Claire – Tuesday, February 27

·        Wausau – Thursday, March 1

·        Madison—Tuesday, March 6

·        Oconomowoc – Thursday, March 8

II.      “Patient At Risk”

The “Patient At Risk” program will allow providers and emergency planners to have access to information to attend to the medical needs of those persons, listed in the “Patient at Risk” database so as to better serve them when there is a medical emergency, whether that be an individual patient emergency or a disaster situation. 6 hospitals have expressed interest in serving as sponsors. Implementation is expected in Spring of 2007.

III.      State Expert Panel on Radiation Emergencies

The Panel is expected to complete its work in March/April. The Panel will provide guidance for hospitals, Emergency Departments, EMS and physician offices for managing patients, exposed to radiological agents.

IV.      State Expert Panel on Ventilator Capacity

The panel has completed the plan and will provide all hospitals with >60 ventilator days per year with a ventilator in Phase I. Phase II will involve providing additional ventilators to hospitals that serve a greater number of ventilator-dependent patients. The Technical Colleges will be responsible for the training of Respiratory Therapist with one common curriculum. Hospitals will receive information regarding this program in mid-February.

V.      State Expert Panel on Disaster Ethics

The intent is to produce a “Guidance Document” on ethical issues by May 31 and then involve clinicians and also the general public in a discussion about these issues during the Summer and Fall.

VI.      State Expert Panel on Human Resources

The panel has completed drafts of Policies for the deployment of volunteers at hospitals and local health departments, the Application to Serve as a Volunteer and a Policy on Employees Desiring to s Serve as Volunteers. It is anticipated that the panel will complete is work in the spring of 2007.

VII.      State Expert Panel on Materials Management

The panel is working with Distributors to establish a stockpile of medical/surgical supplies and pharmaceuticals, based on a pandemic influenza scenario. Initial estimates are to have supplies for 25,000 patients. There is also a Demonstration Project underway with Madison United Laundry Service (MUHL) to stockpile linens, blankets, towels, etc. for inpatient surge capacity beds.

VIII.      WITrac (Wisconsin Tracking, Resources, Alerts and Communications)

This system is being rolled out in southeast Wisconsin (Region 7) with an anticipated switch-over date of April 1. Once this switchover has been successfully completed in this region, the roll-out to other regions in the state will begin.

IX.      State Expert Panel on Healthcare Facilities

A Baseline Survey was completed with on December 31, 2006. The survey resulted in a change in the workplan:

1)                  Emergency Preparedness Training to be developed by the Technical College System

a.      20 – 40 hours of on-line education with perhaps a Certificate

b.      One “project” to allow participants to work together

c.       Competency Check at final examination

2)                  Special Training Manual/Checklist for Small Facilities (2 – 6 beds)

3)                  Disaster Plan Templates

4)                  Networking Opportunities: regional planning

5)                  County Meetings on Evacuation

X.      Patient Tracking

The specifications for this system are being developed in conjunction with United Parcel Services (UPS). A preliminary and revised draft is expected by March 31, 2007. Preliminary suggestions include the transmission of patient data from the field through wireless handheld units with the posting of this information preferably on WITrac.

XI.      State Expert Panel on Dispatch

The panel has successfully completed drafts of recommended protocols for all Dispatch Centers to follow in a mass casualty incident along with recommendations for Dispatch when it is overwhelmed due to the number of calls in a mass casualty incident. A plan for training is now being worked out with NENA.

XII.      State of Wisconsin Burn Plan

The Burn Plan has been completed and will be distributed to all hospitals in mid-February. The plan allows for free on-line training for physicians, nurses and other health professionals on the “Advanced Burn Life Support” along with the opportunity for the hospital to purchase supplies for a burn cart. The intent is to increase the capacity of hospital in the state to treat burn victims when capacity at the burn hospitals has been exceeded.

XIII.      Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor Surge Capacity Exercise

Work has begun in Region 7 to design an exercise that will allow hospitals in southeast Wisconsin, northeast Illinois and the City of Chicago to alert one another, communicate with one another and report resources to one another in a mass casualty incident. Region 7 is presently in the process of identifying the person(s) who will take the lead in the exercise design. The intent is to have the exercise completed in late Summer or early Fall.

XIV.      Meetings with Hospital Senior Management

The Wisconsin Hospital Association is sponsoring a series of meeting in collaboration with the Wisconsin Division of Public Health to brief hospital senior management on the “state of hospital preparedness”. These meetings will be conducted in February and March.

XV.      Tiered-Response System

HRSA Leadership has completed the drafts of protocols for hospitals in a “Lights and Sirens” incident and a biological incident. The tiered-response system, mandated of the HRSA Hospital Preparedness Program nationally, is to outline the response of hospital in the 6 tiers:

·        Tier 1 – individual hospital response

·        Tier 2 – Multiple Hospital response

·        Tier 3 – Multiple Hospital and Other Emergency Partners Response

·        Tier 4 – Multiple Regions Response

·        Tier 5 – Inter-State Response

·        Tier 6- Response including Federal Assets

The intent is to share these protocols with all hospital emergency response partners to better integrate the response plans of all emergency organizations.

XVI.      Wisconsin Safety Council

The Wisconsin Safety Council was asked by the Hospital Disaster Preparedness Program to provide recommendations about the types of evacuation equipment that could be used in hospitals and potentially purchased for hospitals, using federal preparedness funds. Their recommendation is expected soon.

XVII.      PEPP Training

Pediatric Education for Pre-Hospital Professionals continues to be offered through the Hospital Disaster Preparedness Program for up to two persons from each EMS and First Responder Service. Application and information about PEPP can be obtained through your local RTAC. Applications must be completed by April 30, 2007 with all training completed by August 31, 2007.

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