Disaster planning is challenging for many hospitals to undertake. It is a time-consuming and arduous task to develop a comprehensive emergency management plan that is truly functional and regulatory complaint. Most hospitals recognize the need to update their plan as well as develop new event-specific plans, but don’t have the necessary internal expertise, resources, time or budget to devote to such a project. We are committed to changing that status by bringing comprehensive emergency management planning within reach to all hospitals through a time-proven system that combines planning tools and consultative expertise to create a functional, living document that enhances readiness.
Severe weather encompasses any weather-related event—tornado, severe thunderstorm, hurricane, flood, winter storm, temperature extremes—that poses a risk to life and property or impacts hospital operations.
The Severe Weather Plan is a planning document that augments the hospital’s existing Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and incorporates the fundamental principles of all-hazards emergency management. Safety of patients, staff, and visitors and property protection are topics covered across a variety of weather hazards with specific considerations included for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Overview
The hospital forms a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary planning team that can be actively engaged for the duration of the project. The Severe Weather Plan development process leverages a highly-collaborative planning model that is facilitated by a series of remote and/or onsite consultation and utilizes a proprietary planning tool that focuses on:
- Preventing or minimizing the loss of life and injuries
- Ensuring patient and personnel safety
- Maintaining optimal patient care and life support functions during severe weather emergencies
- Integrating the hospital’s preparedness, response, and recovery efforts with those of its community and supporting entities
The Hospital Severe Weather Plan Annex addresses
- Mitigation measures, preparedness activities, response actions, and recovery strategies
- Weather-specific detection and warning resources
- Safety and logistical considerations
- Hospital Evacuation Plan
- Fatality Management Plan
- General Chemical Spill Plan
- Home Health and Hospice Plan
- Loss of Community Support Plan
- Medical Surge & Alternate Care Site Plan
- Emergency Decontamination Operations Plan
- All-Hazards Emergency Management Planning
The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is a standardized, all-hazard incident management system that enables hospitals and other healthcare facilities to organize resources, staff, and facilities in order to remain operational during an emergency and promote the restoration of day-to-day operations.
We help hospitals implement HICS in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The complete HICS program consists of various offerings ranging from initial to advanced training, executive leadership instruction, and hospital command center training to online education and customized exercises. With proper HICS training and preparedness, chaos during an incident is minimized, normal operations resume sooner, the cost of the event is monitored, safety is maximized, and there is more efficient use of personnel.
Overview
We have provided training and education to personnel from many healthcare facilities including rural, critical access and community hospital, military and trauma centers, specialty hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, and public health and home agencies. All of our training programs are:
- Healthcare focused
- Delivered by experienced, credentialed instructors
- Competency based
- Interactive and adaptable
- Delivered via multiple modalities
- Customizable based on local and regional needs
- In compliance with national standards and accreditations
- Flexible scheduling
- Enjoyable and worthwhile investment of time
Our HICS Training Programs are aligned with NIMS activities for hospitals and healthcare systems, ASPR, NFPA 99, and The Joint Commission.
HICS Programs
Programs include:
- HICS Review Training
- HICS for Healthcare Managers
- HICS for Executive Leadership
- Hospital Command Center (HCC) Workshop
Decontamination readiness is an essential capability for ensuring the safety of hospital staff during any hazardous materials incident.
OSHA requires that hospitals provide ongoing training (Awareness, Operations, and Refresher) to personnel who are expected to decontaminate or interact with contaminated victims.
Overview
Sustaining this capability is a challenge for any program or response capability that is used infrequently and intended to persevere over time. Our goal is to help hospitals attain a real, working level of decontamination preparedness and then support that effort over time – a task we have done successfully for over 15 years.
Our Decontamination Training Programs can be used for OSHA certification and are aligned with NIMS activities for hospitals and healthcare systems, ASPR, NFPA 99, and The Joint Commission.
Details
We have provided training and education to personnel to many healthcare facilities including rural, critical access and community hospitals, military and trauma centers, specialty hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, and public health and home health agencies.
All training programs are:
- Hospital Decon Site Survey
- Healthcare focused
- Competency based
- Practical and comprehensive
- Interactive and adaptable
- Delivered via multiple modalities
- Cost effective and time efficient
- Delivered by experienced/credentialed instructors
- Scalable
- Customizable based on local and regional needs/requirements
- In compliance with national standards, accreditation requirements and regulations
- Flexible scheduling
- Enjoyable, worthwhile investment of time
Available Decontamination Programs
Programs Include:
- Awareness Level Training
- Operations Level Training
- Hospital Decon Site Survey
- Hospital Decontamination Drill
- Emergency Decontamination Operations Plan
What happens when a hospital becomes victim to a natural disaster or man-made event and can no longer provide care to its patients? What happens when instead of supporting first responders during an emergency, the hospital itself needs to be evacuated?
Overview
Hospital Evacuation is a multi-faceted process that involves more than simply moving patients from Point A to Point B. It requires a coordination of patients, personnel, movement teams, and outside resources as well as the efficient use of patient assessment tools, documentation forms, and mobility equipment. A successful evacuation capability must be built upon an incident management foundation that is well understood and is easily scalable.
We help your hospital build this foundation by offering a complete Evacuation Preparedness Program that includes comprehensive evacuation training, evacuation planning, and evacuation exercises. With proper evacuation program development and implementation, chaos is minimized, normal operations resume sooner, the cost of the event is monitored, safety is maximized, and there is more efficient use of personnel.
Available Hospital Evacuation Programs
Programs Include:
- Hospital Evacuation Plan
- Hospital Patient Evacuation Drill
- Hospital Evacuation Management Training
- Evacuation Core Competency Training for Department Managers
Most hazardous materials incidents are a result of human error. Some releases are purely intentional in nature, whose sole purpose is to create confusion, mass injuries, and societal disruption. Releases of hazardous substances most often injure employees, followed by the general public, and less frequently, first responders and school children.
CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Agents) Training focuses on the various mass casualty hazards/ threats that may impact healthcare delivery.
In-Hospital HazMat Spill Training educates individuals about chemical spills and how to distinguish between an incidental spill and one that requires emergency response.
Overview
Most hazardous materials incidents are a result of human error. Some releases are purely intentional in nature, whose sole purpose is to create confusion, mass injuries, and societal disruption. Releases of hazardous substances most often injure employees, followed by the general public, and less frequently, first responders and school children.
CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Agents) Training focuses on the various mass casualty hazards/ threats that may impact healthcare delivery.
In-Hospital HazMat Spill Training educates individuals about chemical spills and how to distinguish between an incidental spill and one that requires emergency response.
Available CBRNE / HazMat Programs
Programs Include:
- CBRNE Training
- In-Hospital Hazmat Spill Training
Additional Emergency Management Programs include:
- Triage
- Seminars
- NIMS Training
- Industrial Safety
- Fire Safety Training
- Weapons of Mass Destruction
- ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800
- Fire Suppression/First Aid, CPR and AED
- All Hazards and Terrorism Preparedness Training
- Continuity of Government and Operations Planning
- Department of Homeland Security Planning, Training and Exercising for First Responders