Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery centers on an organization’s ability to coordinate material and human resources in an effective, efficient manner. Measures taken to type and tie together existing and potential assets ensure resiliency through planning. These factors are the same in every industry sector but carry a significant weight with critical infrastructure. Hospitals and healthcare systems, often unrecognized as critical infrastructure, must take extensive steps to ensure their emergency management plans provide them with the ability to prepare, prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from any threat. Therefore, coordinating staff and materials builds improved continuity plans.

Local, state, and federal agencies; non-governmental organizations; and community partnerships are involved in disaster response and recovery. These public and private stakeholders represent business segments like law enforcement, fire departments, public health, information technology, banking, retail commerce, utilities, and more. Health and medical interests are a vital group to include for any disaster or mass casualty response.

 

Florida Hospital Association’s (FHA’s) Office of Emergency Management Services serves as a link to the various agencies deemed to help hospitals respond to a disaster. Working directly with the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, they work in tandem with the Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Department of Health – Division of Emergency Medical Operations, the Committee on Trauma, and Emergency Support Function – 8 (Health and Medical). The work of FHA and these agencies solidifies the organization of resources during a significant time of need. FHA’s Director of Emergency Management Services is a primary contact representing the voice of Florida’s hospitals to these state agencies. FHA’s role places hospitals in the forefront of statewide planning and incident response.

Hospital response begins with the employee’s own personal plan, includes facility and system strategies, and integrates with county and state emergency principals and operation centers. Realizing existing strengths and weaknesses, capacity and capability provides an understanding of potential problems and the opportunities to improve response efforts where needed.

 

Understanding the existing challenges enables critical analysis of emergency management plans and the resources needed to allow those plans to work effectively. FHA spends a great deal of time working with local, state, and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other groups in determining what areas pose a concern for hospital response. FHA brings the voice of Florida’s hospitals to the table; gaining recognition and acceptance of the idea that hospitals are, and should be considered, critical infrastructure. Projects FHA is currently coordinating include:

  • Hospital and medical surge planning
  • All-hazards response
  • Catastrophic incident response planning
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training
  • Hazardous materials and decontamination equipment training
  • Pandemic influenza planning
  • Biological disaster planning
  • Volunteer response coordination
  • Mechanical ventilator capacity for medical surge
  • Radiological terrorism response
  • Bombs, burns, and blast education
  • Disaster medical response education
  • Hospital security and safety
  • Negative pressure capability enhancement
  • Incident management technology
  • Interoperable communication
  • Telemedicine
  • Alternative care standards and treatment locations
  • Hospital exercises
  • Special Needs Sheltering
  • Alignment with federal and state emergency management requirements

FHA’s endeavor, on behalf of hospitals, is accomplished by providing leadership and partnership with several working groups, committees, boards, and panels. Currently, these are:

  • FEMA Region IV Unified Planning Coalition – Florida Department of Health
  • Joint Advisory Committee: Communications Capabilities of Emergency Medical and Public Health Care Facilities – Federal Communications Commission
  • A2 Disaster Preparedness Group – American Hospital Association
  • Florida Domestic Security Oversight Council – Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • Hospital Surge Capability Team (F.K.A. – CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee) – Florida Department of Health
  • State Working Group Executive Board – Florida Department of Health/Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee – Florida Department of Health
  • Hospital Surge Capability Team Ventilator Sub Committee – Florida Department of Health/Florida Society for Respiratory Care
  • Hospital Surge Capability Team PPE/DECON Equipment Sub-Committee – Florida Department of Health
  • Ventilator Capability & Capacity Sub-Committee – American Association for Respiratory Care
  • Special Needs Shelter Interagency Committee – Florida Department of Health

FHA also serves as the Ventilator Capability & Capacity Workgroup Chair with the American Association for Respiratory Care; and, FHA’s Director of Emergency Management Services is the in-coming President for the Florida Society for Respiratory Care having been an active board member since 2002.

All disasters start and end locally. Ideally, a hospital manages an incident without having to reach out for assistance; but, if internal resources can’t support the medical needs and impact of a community, county and state resources help by applying aid and resources to maintain specific operational needs. Assistance outreach demands the coordination of fundamental resources using the integrated network of existing affiliates. FHA’s Office of Emergency Management Services, as a partner in disaster response, works to provide continual improvement and representation for hospital response and recovery.