ABSTRACT
CONTENTS Introduction to Hospital Emergency Preparedness .................................. 370 Factors Shaping Hospital Preparedness.................................................... 371
No Direct Improvements to Bottom Line...................................... 371 Accreditation .................................................................................. 372 The Uninsured/Bad Debt .............................................................. 372 Staffing........................................................................................... 372 Hospital Overcrowding .................................................................. 373 Unrealistic Expectations ................................................................. 373 The Hospital as Victim .................................................................. 374 The Hospital as Target................................................................... 374 Importance of Stakeholder Buy-In ................................................. 374 The Role of Hospital Leadership.................................................... 375 Partnerships and Collaboration ...................................................... 375
All Disasters are Local and Collaboration is Key, but the Limitations are Real ............................................................... 376
What Can Be Done? ............................................................................... 376 The Hazard Vulnerability Analysis .......................................................... 377 Hospital Incident Command System ...................................................... 377 Communications..................................................................................... 378 Administrator-on-Call ............................................................................. 379 Mass Vaccinations and Prophylaxis ......................................................... 379 Stockpiling and Critical Supply Logistics ................................................ 379 Surge Capacity/Surge Demand................................................................ 380 Managing Volunteers/Credentialing ........................................................ 380 Exercises.................................................................................................. 381 Performance Metrics in Hospital Emergency Preparedness ..................... 381 Healthcare Employee Personal Preparedness ........................................... 382 Summary................................................................................................. 382 References ............................................................................................... 383
Introduction to Hospital Emergency Preparedness Any grasp of hospital emergency preparedness begins with an understanding of the fundamental goal of healthcare institutions, i.e., to maximize the provision of safe, efficient, and high quality care to all patients. Arguably, the hospital is the cornerstone of the healthcare system, and it is the hospital that receives the injured, infected, bleeding, and broken during a major incident [1]. Consequently, the hospital must prepare via an all-hazards approach that acknowledges the full range of natural, technological, and deliberate incidents it may face, both as a service provider and a victim.
