Function 5

Support the Provision of Hospital Care

LEMSA Roles: Preparedness - Response - Recovery

Function Objectives

(1) Promote the development of standardized hospital emergency plans consistent with ICS and the medical response plan of the Operational Area.

(2) Develop a system to support the provision of emergency department and inpatient services provided by an acute care facility.

Function Elements

Element 5.1 Conduct hHospital status / damage assessment

Element 5.2 Support standardized hospital disaster plans.emergency system.

Element 5.3 Support hospital efforts to obtain resources needed to sustain hospital operations, and continued provision of care.

Element 5.1 Conduct hHospital status / damage assessment

Standard:

1. LEMSAs shall ensure the establishment of a single 24-hour system that designates a point (or points) of contact through which (1) hospitals can report their status and request emergency assistance and (2) the medical response can disseminate contact information and procedures to acute care hospitals within the Operational Area. 2. LEMSAs shall ensure the establishment of a hospital information reporting system consistent with local, regional, and state plans, that is capable of gathering, compiling, and reporting information on the functional status, patient receipt capability, and needs of local hospitals.

Guideline 5.1.1

Single Point of Contact System for Communication of Hospital Status Information

LEMSA response procedures should develop a system through which the medical response can obtain information on the communication procedures for hospitals to report their status and request assistance needs of medical facilities. This These procedures system should include:

· Designation of Designation of ssecure and redundant communications channels.

· Provision for dispatch of mobile communications to facilities that do not respond to initial queries for status.

· Ability to transmit information to and receive information to from M/H OAC and Department Operations CenterDepartmental Operations Center, if activated.

Guideline 5.1.2

Hospital Status Information – Minimum Data Elements

Minimum data elements for iInitial hospital status reports at a minimum should elicit the following information:include:

1. Is hospital functional?

Fully Functional Partially Functional Non-Functional

2. Is the hospital capable of maintaining the health status of current patients? Yes No

3. For how long without assistance?

______________Up to 12 hours Longer than 12 hours

4. What are hospital’s critical needs?

4.5. Can hospital accept any additional patients?

5.6. If yes, in which categories?

Emergency? Yes No

Medical/surgical? Yes No

ICUCritical Care? Yes No

Pediatric? Yes No

Psychiatric? Yes No

Obstetrics? Yes No

Other? Yes No ___________________

6.1.What are hospital’s critical needs?

Note: Operational Area, LEMSAs and Hospitals may agree to additional reporting requirements.

Guideline 5.1.3

Sharing Hospital Status Information

LEMSAs should adopt a policy to share hospital status information and other situation assessment information with Operational Area hospitals to assist them in the development of their response action plans.

Element 5.2 Support standardized hospital disaster plans.emergency system.

Standard:

All local EMS agencies shall promote the adoption of the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS)unified command system by all acute care hospitals for their emergency management plans. ir emergency response plans.

Guideline 5.2.1

Support Standardized Hospital Disaster Plans

· LEMSAs should encourage hospitals to use a unified command system, preferably HEICS, to prepare for and manage their response to disasters.

· LEMSA staff should participate as a resource in disaster response training with hospitals.

· LEMSAs should support the training of at least one staff person in the Operational Area as a HEICS trainer.

Element 5.3 Support hospital efforts to obtain resources needed to sustain hospital operations, and continued provision of care to patients., and evacuation.

Guideline 5.3.1

Disaster Medical Support for Hospitals

1. Support for hospitals Hospital support should include:

• Assistance in identifying and obtainingAssisting them to identify and obtain resources when hospitals they were are unable to access, communicate with, or arrange transportation from their own sources of supply.
• Providing a communications conduit for providing critical delivering information to and gathering status information from hospitals.
• Planning for temporary medical triage and treatment sites hospitals may establish in the event hospitals they are partially functional or completely nonfunctional or need to expand services outside the hospital facility..

LEMSAs should help to sponsorpromote and participate in yearly exercises testing the Operational Area’s response to hospitals.