State Medical Assistance Team ( Smat )

The impact of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in August 2005 had catastrophic implications to the healthcare infrastructure in portions of coastal and southern Mississippi, including hospitals being closed due to severe damage. The healthcare response system of the time relied almost exclusively on support resources from the federal government (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2010). By design, these teams were not able to support the local healthcare system for several days, leaving a void of services for the citizens that were hardest hit by the storm. Also during this time, the healthcare system of Mississippi faced several other critical challenges including the need for rapid assessment of impacted facilities, movement of patients between hospitals, and coordination of emergency medical services (Darsey, 2013). It is important to note that the disruption of the healthcare system resulted in challenges associated with a vulnerable population’s normal routine being severely disrupted. Additional complicating factors were a high incidence of exacerbation of chronic illnesses due to environmental conditions, loss of medications, emotional stressors, and other causes associated with the interruption of their normal level of care (Currier, King, Wofford, Daniel, & deShazo, 2006). These response challenges, coupled with the void in timely healthcare services, led to the creation of the State Medical Response System (SMRS) of Mississippi.

In the event of a disaster, the community relies upon the public health personnel to evaluate the needs of the community, assess the available resources, provide reliable information, and coordinate health activities. It is essential that local health workers are trained professionals who are reassuring and organized to address health, social, cultural and material concerns of the community. Local health personnel coordinate social services, transportation, available health services, volunteers, outside assistance, public utilities and rescue work (HELP, 1989).

In day to day operations, uncertainties do occur. Henceforth it would be important to have a contingent and well detailed disaster preparedness plan and procedures. Healthcare systems, on a day to day basis, are faced with emergencies in form of disasters. As a result, majority of medical centers have well-structured exit plans in the event of a disaster occurring("Hospital Disaster Preparedness: Your Guide to Getting Started - Emergency Preparedness", 2011). However, this essay will aim at interviewing one of the top disaster preparedness staffat the Houston Methodist Hospital. In the interview, I will seek to identify the top three disasters that the Houston Methodist Hospital is prepared for. Similarly, in the interview, I would seek to identify the top lessons learnt from disaster preparedness at the hospitals.As it concludes it would summarize the findings with regards to the interview stated below. Below is an excerpt from the interview to answer the two aforementioned questions.

Communication is essential between health care facilities and the CDC. For example, the facilities experience an emergency and follow certain quarantine protocols and alert the local public health department and the CDC. The CDC organizes secure transmission tactics to merge and notify public health officials at local, state, and federal levels. The institute deploys scientific and logistical proficiency, personnel, and vital medical resources to the area of the emergency. The CDC (2012) explains the implementation of the essential medical assets for protection of communities in the state of an emergency:

The various local, state, and federal emergency management systems of the United States suffered a crude awakening in the decade of the 2000s. Systems expected to hold up were put to the test and failed to prepare for disaster, mitigate the damage, and, in some instances, actually hampered responses in life-or-death situations. Worse, all failings were highlighted in an age of global communication and mass media, on display first whether a man-made incident like September 11th attacks or natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. The decade found the complacent government failing to maintain modern emergency management practices, stimulating began a series of doctrinal upgrades and training improvements. Yet, no matter the bureaucracy, writings, or money thrown at a problem, the first responder to the incident has and will continue to influence the outcome. While the individual responder stands as the most important part of

Hurricane Katrina caused a great deal of destruction, death, and human suffering. Research from this event brings to light the limitations of both the National Guard and active-duty forces response capabilities, and whether changes in the roles and responsibilities of the National Guard and active-duty forces during emergencies would enable them to respond better. It is likely that the primary responsibility for national disasters will continue to be handled by local and state officials. They have the best understanding of situations, have the capability to handle the case, and can respond quickly. Hurricane Katrina generated the need to examine the federal response and to make any changes that are needed for the preparation of National Guard and active-duty Army during major domestic emergencies. Both the National Guard and active duty Army are changing to smaller modular and interoperable combat and support brigades that can provide the foundation for an expedited force that can deploy units to threats quickly. The Army

The HHS informs us from this article that all emergency personnel is committed to taking every action possible to protect and aid the Texans and Louisianans. One of the biggest critical issues here that the HHS talks about is the power outages and how they can be very hazardous to people with these medical conditions. HHS has also provided data to public health authorities in Texas and Louisiana to assist them in reaching citizens who rely on electrically powered medical equipment at home, like supplemental oxygen supplies (HHS, 2017). HHS has called The National Disaster Medical System and their personnel, to help with the potentially impacted areas and to set up in places that are ahead of the storm. The Department remains in regular contact with Texas and Louisiana health officials to maintain awareness of the local situation and stands ready to augment its support to the states as the situation unfolds (HHS, 2017).

Natural and man-made disasters have increased in the past decade, and due to these changes, Emergency Managers had to make drastic changes in order to improve the way first responders operate in a disaster area.

CERTs are deployed progressively and as needs in the area dictate but members are taught to assess their own needs and those in their immediate environment first. Spontaneous volunteers, our neighbors and ordinary citizens, often arrive on-site at a disaster ready to help. Yet because they are not associated with any part of the existing emergency management response system, their offers of help are often underutilized. Specialized planning, information sharing, and a management structure are necessary to coordinate efforts and maximize the benefits of volunteer involvement. Emergency management experts are encouraged to identify and utilize all existing capacity for integrating unaffiliated volunteers. Some CERT teams are able to be deployed outside of the immediate area to assist other local governments during times of emergency. These teams must receive additional training in order to be able to be

Medical Practice Initiative. One of the main drivers of the Medical Practice Initiative (MPI), aside from patient safety, is the acquisition, maintenance, and minimization of cognitive and psychomotor skill decay of healthcare personnel. A primary focus is maintenance of military and medical skills throughout a caregiver’s career (7). There is some crossover between the CCTI and the MPI as both apply to healthcare providers, but the MPI is more closely tied to Role 3 through Role 5 skills and procedures as well as common skills and procedures performed by non-military healthcare providers during routine care delivery.

The administration is also in charge of maintaining communication between the various units within an organization to ensure that all these separate units work together to provide overall results as a single unit.

At the state level 13 of the 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) were activated and worked out of the state operations center, which allowed us to share information quickly, as well as coordinate response activities. At the state level the WOHS deputy director provided the leadership and we worked through and with the Operations Section Chief.” (R. Sherard, personal communication, June 10,

Stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, GA., The medevac was task to assist with disaster recovery when South Carolina was affected by catastrophic, life-threatening flooding. The Commanders, from the company level all the way up to Brigade, using operational sustainment, and knowing what the organization was capable of, were able to organize crews and make the decision to go. This required crews that were trained and proficient at the tasks such as hoist and over-water operations. The equipment necessary to do rescue operations, from the medical equipment up to having aircrafts available. This also meant sustainment in the form of organizational support from DART teams and operations personnel, all ready and providing help in the rear. We were able to accomplish what was asked of us because of training and leadership support at all levels. Sustainment relies on every individual within the organization to do their part, and leadership to be able to recognize deficiencies and have a plan to address this. All in an effort to become fully functional in their warfighting skills and mission

I have another question concerning the Safety Net Specialty Care Program. Recently, it has come to my attention that KP uses an outside vendor that provides holter and event monitors for KP and safety net patients may receive a bill for this service. HealthConnect is denying these claims because the patients are technically nonmembers. Long story short, there has been conversations in the past about some kind of special identifier for safety net patients but because the volume is so small, this option has not been a priority for the HealthConnect team.

The training course for the AAP Pediatric Disaster Planning is available at no cost for anyone who is involved in addressing children’s needs in a disaster. Special emergency management issues such as decontamination of children, triage and family reunification are addressed. “The course is not a clinical class, but it does cover some clinical aspects from a resource management/allocation perspective.” The course is a sixteen hour and conducted in two days and if necessary, weekend. The class must consist of thirty students to meet the requirement. All hospital staff that is called to care for pediatric patients is invited to attend.