Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 1 Saint Leo University Hospital's Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan Sandra Chandler Saint Leo University HCM 550 Date: Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 2 Introduction Once disasters strike, hospitals undertake a fundamental role in the healthcare system by offering vital medical care to the affected communities. Every incident, which contributes to either loss of infrastructure or even patient surge, like natural disasters, nuclear attacks or acts of terrorism, mostly require not only multijurisdictional but also multifunctional response, as well as, recovery effort that should encompass the offering of health care. In the absence of an appropriate emergency plan, any hospital facility can without doubt become overwhelmed in making an attempt to offer care in the course of a critical event. Inadequate resources, a surge within medical services demand, along with disruption of both communication, as well as, supply lines end up creating a momentous barrier to the offering of healthcare services (Niska & Shimizu, 2011). It is on that perspective that it has turned out as necessary for every hospital facility to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness, as well as, response plan. The all-hazards of the main actions to be taken by the hospitals while responding to a disaster event will be outlined hereinafter. Command and Control It is of great essence to put in place a properly functioning command-andcontrol system in order to facilitate the effective response to any emergency within the hospital setting. This can be done by activating an ICG (Incident Command Group) or institute an ad hoc ICG, that is, a supervisory body whose responsibilities entail offering directions on matters concerning hospital-based Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 3 management of emergencies. It has been established that an ICG is of great essence for effective development, as well as, management of both hospital-based systems, as well as, procedures needed for what can be considered as successful emergency response. One of the recommended actions is designating a hospital center of command within the Saint Leo University Hospital, that is, a certain location made ready for the convening and coordinating of hospital-wide emergency response activities. Such locations should also be equipped with effective and reliable communication avenues (Joint Commission, 2008). Communication It should be noted that in the times of emergencies, it is necessary to have not only clear but also accurate, as well as, timely communication in order to be certain of effective collaboration, as well as, cooperation; informed decision making together with public awareness along with trust (Nelson et al., 2007). The recommended action is that the Saint Leo University Hospital management should appoint a qualified public information spokesperson who will be responsible of coordinating communication between the hospital and the general public, the media, as well as, health authorities. In addition, a space should be designated for press conferences, most preferably within the proximity of the command center. Safety and Security Well-developed safety, as well as, security procedures are necessary for not only the hospital functions maintenance but also for incident response functions in the course of a disaster. In that regard, the Saint Leo University Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 4 Hospital management will have to constitute a security team, which will be responsible of all matters related to safety within the facility. Part of the said security team mandate will be the prioritization of security needs by working in partnership with the ICG (Workgroup, 2000). Human Resources It is essential to have an effective human resource management in order to make certain that there is adequate staff capacity in addition to continuity of operations in the course of the type of incidents, which contribute towards increased human resources demand. In order to manage the human resource effectively, it is recommended that to maintain a well updated hospital staff contact list. It is also advisable to estimate, as well as, monitor staff absenteeism continuously. Most of all, staffing requirements have to be prioritized and distribution of personnel carried out accordingly (Qureshi et al., 2005) . Logistics and Supply Management In most of the cases, hospitals find it challenging to ensure continuity of their suppliers along with deliveries in the times of disasters. This is mostly due to the failure to undertake before-hand the required contingency planning, as well as, response. In that regard, the Saint Leo University Hospital management will have to avoid falling in that category by developing and maintaining an up-to-date inventory of each equipment, supplies, inclusive of pharmaceuticals in addition to developing a shortage-alert mechanism (World Health Organization, 2011). Post-Disaster Recovery Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 5 The post-disaster recovery planning is basically carried out during the inception of response activities. It has been established that once the recovery efforts are implemented in a prompt manner, it plays a significant role in the mitigation of the long-term impact of any disaster on the hospital operations. Therefore, it will be advisable for the Saint Leo University Hospital administration to recruit a not only highly qualified but also experienced disaster recovery officer whose responsibility will mainly be to oversee the hospital recovery operations. Disaster Preparedness And Response Plan 6 References: Joint Commission. (2008). Standing Together: An Emergency Planning Guide for America's Communities. Nelson, C., Lurie, N., Wasserman, J., Zakowski, S., & Leuschner, K. J. (2007). Conceptualizing and defining public health emergency preparedness. National Emergency Training Center. Niska, R. W., & Shimizu, I. (2011). Hospital preparedness for emergency response: United States, 2008. Qureshi, K., Gershon, R. R., Sherman, M. F., Straub, T., Gebbie, E., McCollum, M., ... & Morse, S. S. (2005). Health care workers' ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. Journal of urban health, 82(3), 378-388. Workgroup, P. (2000). Biological and chemical terrorism: strategic plan for preparedness and response. MMWR, 49, 1-14. World Health Organization. (2011). Hospital Emergency Response Checklist: An All-hazards Tool for Hospital Administrators and Emergency Managers. PDF Document. Regional Office for Europe