In the wake of terror
After 9/11, hospitals still unprepared for large-scale emergencies
Topics: Facilities, Planning, Strategy, Communication Skills, Skill Development, Workforce, Process Management, Operations Skills
September 08, 2011
Although hospitals nationwide have improved disaster readiness in the decade since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, many facilities still lag in critical preparedness areas, Modern Healthcare reports.
Preparing for the worst
Soon after the 2001 attacks, the federal government invested millions of dollars in disaster preparedness. For example, in federal fiscal years (FY) 2003 and 2004, HHS distributed $498 million to hospitals through the Hospital Preparedness Program, while CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement distributed $970 million in FY 2003.
According to Christopher Cannon, the international administrator of the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response, hospitals and health systems have made a "tremendous amount of progress" and have put federal funding to good use.
A 2003-2004 CDC review found that 92% of U.S. hospitals had revised their emergency response plans within three years of the 2001 terrorist attacks. As part of those strategies, many hospitals also considered temporary lock-downs and spent millions drilling staff on how to respond to terror-induced scenarios.
Hospitals use own funds to beef up readiness
Over the past 10 years, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston has spent about $200 million of its own funds and roughly $100 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds on disaster preparedness. The facility now requires all employees to confirm their general disaster responsibilities before signing up for benefits every year. The system also has improved its communications capacities, purchased decontamination systems, added data centers, and entered a gasoline contract to protect the hospital and its employees in the event of a shortage.
For Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., the 2001 attacks "really crystallized the need for disaster health-care management and an infrastructure that can handle a major disaster while still offering the daily services of a major hospital," says Tony Potter, the hospital's senior director for public safety. Forsyth has spent about $3 million on improvements over the past 10 years, enhancing its incident command center and doubling safety and communication staff.
Critical gaps remain
Despite significant improvements, many hospitals and health systems remain underprepared to cope with communication, personnel management, and surge capacity issues, Modern Healthcare reports.
A Trust for America's Health report released last week found that the ability to handle a massive influx of patients remains a serious challenge for the U.S. health care system. The report also noted a lack of experts to effectively respond to a public health emergency, as well as gaps in pharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing.
Meanwhile, experts note that recent budget cuts have negatively affected emergency preparedness efforts. In the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, HHS' Hospital Preparedness Program has distributed only $353 million, while the CDC's public health program has distributed only $633 million (Barr, Modern Healthcare, 9/5 [subscription required]; Craver, WCBD, 9/6).
How has 9/11 affected your hospital? Did you serve as an emergency caregiver 10 years ago?
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