Hospital Emergency Operations Plan 6 Key Elements

Hospitals are the very heart of a community that is in the throes of an emergency. When something bad happens on a community-wide level, it’s hospitals that are there to make sure everyone is safe and having their needs met.

Naturally, this doesn’t happen by itself. To serve communities well when the chips are down, hospitals create detailed plans with specific strategies for handling a wide range of different disasters.

In this article, we review the six steps that hospitals can take to ensure they can operate effectively during a crisis situation.

What Is a Hospital Emergency Plan?

Hospital emergency plans exist to make sure that the healthcare system can rapidly adapt to world events that result in significant instances of injury or illness. These plans have existed in some form or another forever but were formally established nationwide following 9/11, as the US healthcare system collectively agreed that emergency preparedness could be the difference between life and death for hundreds of people when crisis situations emerge.

During the height of the pandemic hospital emergency plans were there to make sure the healthcare system could adapt rapidly to an influx in patients. Of course, it is no secret that this was not a perfect solution.

High case numbers, staffing shortages, supply chain interruptions, and medical equipment shortages all played their role in making the pandemic deadlier. However, without an emergency plan in place, patient outcomes would have been worse than they were.

Emergency plans are not there only for once-in-a-generation events like 9/11 or Covid-19. Their primary function is to adapt to the fluctuating needs of the community the hospital is serving. In the event of massive fires, disasters, mudslides, or even mass shootings, hospital emergency plans ensure that medical responses will not be delayed by confusion or a failure to communicate.

Below, we will explore the six key elements of an effective hospital emergency operation.

Communication

Hospitals need to understand what their lines of communication will be in the event of an emergency. Good hospital emergency operations document how they will communicate both internally and externally during the event of a crisis.

To make the plan as impactful as possible, the method and means of delivering information to staff members are outlined in the plan. Said plan will also document how responders communicate with first responders in the community. The idea is to establish an uninterrupted flow of information that ensures everyone knows what is happening and how they need to respond to it.

Resources

Hospitals also need to know how they will receive their supplies in the event of an emergency. This includes medical supplies, but also other assets. During a significant storm, for example, hospitals may need to have increased access to food and water supply. They may also require more linens. Knowing how, where, and when they will access these supplies is vital to making sure they can operate at peak performance in the event of a catastrophe.

Safety

Hospitals are always in charge of making sure that the premises are safe and secure. During a catastrophe, this obligation becomes both more important and more difficult. Hospitals need to outline how they will ensure the well-being of patients and staff during an emergency.

This plan will shift depending on the circumstances of the disaster, but considerations may include anything from increasing security personnel to developing plans for disposing of hazardous waste materials.

Security plans are usually coordinated with local law enforcement to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Staffing

Hospitals need to know how they will staff emergency situations. This involves having a clear idea of how they can address the needs of surging patient numbers. It also means having a staff full of people trained to know exactly what to do when the situation occurs.

The idea is to make sure no additional training is required to help staff members respond to emergency situations. They should ideally know exactly what to do when the situation begins.

Utility Preparedness

Natural disasters may interrupt access to clean water, electricity, and other essential utilities. Hospitals need to outline how they will attain these assets during the event of an emergency.

They also need to understand how long their existing infrastructure can maintain essential operations during the event of an interruption of utilities. For example, hospitals have generators to make sure medical equipment stays active during power outages.

The hospital should understand how long these generators can remain active during a crisis, and what they would do if their current resources could not withstand a long-term disaster.

Patient Care

Finally, and most importantly, hospitals need to have a plan for how they will handle patient care during a crisis situation. Some of these considerations will be logistical — where will the nurses be concentrated, how will the floors be laid out, etc.

Efficiency considerations may also be required. For example, what patients will be given priority? How do you decide who to focus your treatment on if there aren’t enough resources to give every patient your undivided attention?

Hospitals find plans that allow them to divide their attention in a way that will produce the most possible positive healthcare outcomes for their patients.

Photo Credit

Image by Silas Camargo Silão from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.