SURGE CAPACITY AND THE ROLE OF HOSPITALS

Medical surge refers to the ability of a medical community to respond to the increased need of medical care following a disaster or emergency. This also includes the ability of health care organizations to respond to this need with minimal impact of care to others already within the health care system. Hospitals could easily be overwhelmed without proper preparation in a mass casualty event. Assignment You are newly hired in the Emergency Disaster Unit of a local hospital. You are following your supervisor who was alerted of mass casualities incoming due to a major explosion at an elementary school. A medical surge is imminent. Your supervisor is activating a system-wide alert and Level 1 Triage. She is asking you to take notes on (a) setting up the Level 1 Triage, (b) the staff involved, (c) identity of the Community Disaster Management Liaison, (d) law enforcement agencies involved (i.e., federal, state, local), (e) protocol on who speaks with the local press, and (f) who speaks to the parents of the children involved. Explain the triage system and the different levels. A terrorist cell took credit for the explosion, although it is not confirmed. What extra precautions, if any, should the hospital take? Which agencies would be involved? Is the community emergency and disaster management team involved? If so, how? REFERENCES: American College of Healthcare Executives (2013). Healthcare executives’ role in emergency preparedness. Retrieved from https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/policy-statements/healthcare-executives-role-in-emergency-management DHHS (2007). Medical surge capacity and capability: A management system for integrating medical and health resources during large-scale emergencies. Retrieved from https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/mscc/handbook/Documents/mscc080626.pdf Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (2006). Surge hospitals: Providing safe care in emergencies. Retrieved from https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/surge_hospital.pdf National Disaster Medical System (2016). NDMS Patient movement exercise. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHKdPv2fvNk On you mark, get set, triage! (n. d.). Emergency Physicians Monthly. Retrieved from http://epmonthly.com/article/on-your-mark-get-set-triage/