Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-qlrfm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-13T15:54:38.831Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Current Emergency Preparedness Resources and Capabilities Among Academic Health Systems in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2018

Paul D. Biddinger ,
David Reisman ,
Robert F. Seger ,
Ann L. Prestipino ,
Julia Sinclair ,
Barry Wante ,
Eric Goralnick  and
Katherine Kemen
Paul D. Biddinger*
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
David Reisman
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Robert F. Seger
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Ann L. Prestipino
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Julia Sinclair
Affiliation:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Barry Wante
Affiliation:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Eric Goralnick
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Katherine Kemen
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts
*
Correspondence and reprints request to Paul D. Biddinger, MD, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street Zero Emerson 344, Boston, MA 02114 (e-mail: Pbiddinger@partners.org)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

Although hospital emergency preparedness efforts have been recognized as important, there has been growing pressure on cost containment, as well as consolidation within the US health care system. There is little data looking at what health care emergency preparedness functions have been, could be, or should be centrally coordinated at a system level.

Methods

We developed a questionnaire for academic health systems and asked about program funding, resources provided, governance, and activities. The questionnaire also queried managers’ opinions regarding the appropriate role for the system-level resources in emergency response, as well as about what is most helpful at the system-level supporting preparedness.

Results

Fifty-two of 97 systems (54%) responded. The most frequently occurring system-wide activities included: creating trainings or exercise templates (75%), promoting preparedness for employees in the system (75%), providing access to specific subject matter experts (73%), and developing specific plans for individual member entities within their system (73%). The top resources provided included a common mass notification system (71%), arranging for centralized contracts for goods and services (71%), and providing subject matter expertise (69%).

Conclusions

Currently, there is wide variation in the resources, capabilities, and programs used to support and coordinate system-level emergency preparedness among academic health systems. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:574–577)

Keywords

disaster planninghealth care economics and organizationsacademic medical centershealth care facilities, manpower, and services
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 12 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 574 - 577
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. Hospitals rising to the challenge: the first five years of the U.S. Hospital Preparedness Program and priorities going forward. http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2009/2009-04-16-hppreport.pdf. Published 2009. Accessed July 6, 2017.Google Scholar
2. US Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. From hospitals to healthcare coalitions: transforming health preparedness and response in our communities. http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/hpp/Documents/hpp-healthcare-coalitions.pdf. Published 2009. Accessed July 6, 2017.Google Scholar
3. American Hospital Association. Organizational trends. Trendwatch chartbook 2015: Chapter 2. http://www.aha.org/research/reports/tw/chartbook/ch2.shtml. Published 2015. Accessed July 6, 2017.Google Scholar
4. Kaufman, Hall & Associates, LLC. Hospital merger and acquisition activity up sharply in 2015, According to Kaufman Hall analysis. https://www.kaufmanhall.com/software/news-detail/hospital-merger-and-acquisition-activity-up-sharply-in-2015-according-to-kaufman-hall-analysis. Published 2016. Accessed July 6, 2017.Google Scholar
5. US Department of Health and Human Services. Regional offices. https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html Published 2016. Accessed July 6, 2017.Google Scholar
6. US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Emergency Preparedness Rule. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertEmergPrep/Emergency-Prep-Rule.html. Published 2016. Accessed June 30, 2017.Google Scholar