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Good and effective leadership is crucial in the event of an emergency.
Representation from leadership and the medical staff at St. Mary Medical Center participate in emergency management planning by attending Emergency Management Committee meetings, disaster drills and reviewing strategies set forth by the organization in response to emergencies. They are all trained in ICS via FEMA online Emergency Management Institute.
The St. Mary Medical Center HVA is completed annually relative to its objectives, scope, performance, and effectiveness. The Emergency Management Coordinator, in conjunction with the Emergency Management Committee /EOC/Disaster Committee, coordinates the evaluation process. Results of this evaluation process forms the basis for future performance improvement standards, strategic goal setting, planning, and verifying the continued applicability of program objectives and HVA elements. Annual drills are planned around the top three hazards on the HVA.
St. Mary Medical Center coordinates with local emergency management planners for the purpose of prioritizing disaster preparedness efforts. St. Mary Medical Center sits on the Disaster Committee for the City of Long Beach and works with all local fire, police, military and disaster agencies in a collaborative effort. St. Mary Medical Center as the regional Disaster Resource Center also cooperates with the City of Long Beach to create the City HVA.
St. Mary Medical Center meets with area hospitals at DRC meetings and attends meetings with local emergency response agencies. Ongoing communication occurs conveying the hospital’s needs and vulnerabilities and established expectations that the hospital will have from local response agencies in a disaster in terms of the local response agencies meeting the needs of the hospital.
St. Mary Medical Center’s emergency management program utilizes the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), the industry standard, as the basis for a coordinated organizational response to a disaster. St. Mary Medical Center incorporates all levels of the organization in the disaster planning effort. Specific plans, policies, and procedures are developed in collaboration with leadership, physicians, and front-line HCWs.
Preparedness planning includes the following:
St. Mary Medical Center’s organizational and management framework used to execute an actual disaster response is fashioned after the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) model. Emergency management and communications functions within a Hospital Command Center (HCC), through the leadership of the Incident Commander, and are organized into various sections designed to optimize resources and skill. The HICS model is consistent with the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Fire Department Incident Command System (ICS), Police Department ICS, military ICS as well as neighboring hospital HICS structures.
Utilization of HICS:
HICS is an emergency management system that includes key positions identified in the hospital incident management team chart. Each identified position has a specific list of responsibilities and actions (Job Action Sheets) to take during an emergency.
The HICS plan is designed to be flexible and scalable. Only those positions, or functions, which are needed, should be activated. The HICS plan allows for the addition of needed positions, as well as the deactivation of positions at any time. HICS may be fully activated for a large, extended emergency, or only partially activated for smaller or more localized emergencies.
The following provides an overview of the key HICS positions and responsibilities:
Command Positions: (Incident Management Team)
General Staff Positions:
St. Mary Medical Center participates in several community wide emergency management activities, such as:
The Director of the DRC sits as a Terrorism Liaison Officer position for the Joint Regional Information Center (JRIC) through Homeland Security
The hospital uses its HVA as a basis for defining mitigation activities designed to reduce risk of and potential damage from an emergency.
The mitigation phase of the emergency operations plan involves proactive efforts to minimize the severity and impact of a potential disaster and reduce the potential for an event to occur. Members of the Enviornment of Care/Disaster Committee assist with the identification and implementation of appropriate mitigation efforts. These efforts include, but are not limited to:
St. Mary Medical Center maintains a documented inventory of assets and resources that are available on site for use in an emergency. This inventory is updated on an on-going basis. A full inventory review is completed during HPP/ASPER audits and maintained PARR levels of pharmaceuticals and supplies are kept via the Disaster Resource Center.
Once the plan is activated, supply and equipment availability are closely monitored for depletion and replenishment. Supply conservation activities may be required, and this will be done at the direction of the Logistics Chief in collaboration with other members of the General and Command Staff.