Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan
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Saint Leo University Hospital’s Disaster Preparedness and
Response Plan
Sandra Chandler
Saint Leo University HCM 550
Date:
Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan
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Introduction
Once disasters strike, hospitals undertake a fundamental role in the
healthcare 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 healthcare services (Niska & Shimizu,
2011). It is on 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 all-hazards of the main actions to be taken by the hospitals
while responding to a disaster event will be outlined hereinafter.
Command and Control
It is of great essence to put in place a properly functioning command-andcontrol 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
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management of emergencies. It has been established that an ICG is of great
essence for effective 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 of hospital-wide
emergency response activities. Such locations should also be equipped with
effective and reliable communication avenues (Joint Commission, 2008).
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
certain of effective 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 public information spokesperson who will be responsible of
coordinating communication between the hospital and the general public, the
media, as well as, health authorities. In addition, a space should be designated for
press conferences, most preferably within the proximity of the command center.
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
functions in the course of a disaster. In that regard, the Saint Leo University
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Hospital management will have to constitute a security team, which will be
responsible of all matters related to safety within the facility. Part of the said
security team mandate will be the prioritization of security needs by working in
partnership with the ICG (Workgroup, 2000).
Human Resources
It is essential to have an effective human resource management in order to
make certain 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 before-hand the required contingency planning, as well as,
response. In that regard, the Saint Leo University Hospital management will have
to avoid falling in that category by developing and 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
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The post-disaster recovery planning is basically 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 operations.
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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.
