Home › Planning Topics ›

EvacuationEvacuation

Hospital Evacuation

in
Emergency Preparedness picture

Hospital plans for full or partial evacuation should incorporate pre-planning and address the incident command and management structure established for its operational area (community). In advance of an event, Hospitals should understand and incorporate local plans and protocols that are in place to support evacuation and should establish Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with other hospitals, as necessary, for transfer and mutual aid during an emergency.(See CHA Hospital Evacuation Plan Checklist)

When potential or actual evacuation is first contemplated, the hospital should alert the local emergency medical services agency (LEMSA), Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and/or Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) in accordance with the protocols established for emergency notification in the area.

The LEMSA or EOC may assist the hospital with identifying and coordinating placement and transport of patients and other support while the hospital is preparing and staging for evacuation of patients in accordance with local plans and protocols. If the LEMSA or EOC are unable to provide assistance, the hospital is responsible for identification of receiving facilities and securing the consent of those facilities for transfer. The hospital should have established protocols for evacuation, including medications, supplies, equipment, medical records summaries and patient tracking.

Because attending physicians may not be available for all patients involved in an immediate evacuation, it is anticipated that hospital-based physicians (for example, emergency, hospitalists, medical director) will coordinate with the sending and receiving hospitals. Medical record summaries should accompany each patient and the patients attending physician should be notified of the location of the patient.
 

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Evacuation Guide

in

The mobilization and evacuation of the most fragile patients – those in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – is a high risk activity. NICU evacuation requires a carefully planned approach due to the fragile medical condition of these infants, the various medical technology/devices they depend upon for survival, and the overall surge capacity/regional transfer patterns when managing an increase in the neonatal patient population.

In an effort to provide statewide guidance to Illinois hospitals on the evacuation of this population, the Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children brought together Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) professionals from throughout the state to assist in the development of a set of evacuation guidelines. A multi-disciplinary committee was then convened to collate personal experiences, recommendations and current literature on NICU evacuations, resulting in the development the guide.

This guide was prepared through a collaborative effort to assist healthcare providers assess pre-event vulnerabilities and plan for the evacuation of medically fragile Level III NICU patients while addressing core components of incident management, in conjunction with the promotion of patient safety and evacuation procedures based on lessons learned from past disasters and experiences.

  

Hospital Assessment and Recovery Guide

in

This guide is designed to help organize the initial assessment of a hospital upon return after an evacuation/closure due to an emergency event. The specific assessments are meant to be conducted by hospital staff to assess the level and locations of damage sustained by the hospital, and provide information that will be needed to create the full recovery plan. This guide will be particularly useful for assessing a hospital that has sustained significant or widespread damage.

Each hospital—and every emergency event causing an evacuation—will have unique
circumstances. The purpose of this guide is to help organize the initial assessment of the
hospital; it is not intended to be a complete “reoccupation” or recovery plan.

   

Hospital Evacuation Decision Guide

in

This Hospital Evacuation Decision Guide was developed by AHRQ, the lead Federal agency charged with supporting research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, address patient safety and medical errors, and broaden access to essential services.

This guide is designed to provide hospital evacuation decision teams with organized and systematic guidance on how to consider the many factors that bear on the decision to order an evacuation, and to assist decision teams in identifying some of the special situations, often overlooked, that may exist in their facility or geographic area that could affect the decision to evacuate.

This guide is intended to supplement hospital emergency plans, which frequently lack specific guidance on how to make the critical decision to evacuate (including what factors to consider and for how long the decision may be safely deferred).

   

Hospital Evacuation Checklist

in
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Planning Resources for California Hospitals picture

This checklist provides guidance in the development or update of a hospital evacuation plan containing detailed information, instructions, and procedures that can be engaged in any emergency situation necessitating either full or partial hospital evacuation, as well as sheltering in place.

The expectation will be that staff may need to accompany patients and work in staging areas, in local government Alternative Care Sites (ACS) and/or at receiving facilities, subject to receiving proper emergency credentials. Drills, training and reviews must be conducted to ensure that staff have a working knowledge of the plan and to ensure that the plan is workable. 

The hospital evacuation plan should be consistent with federal NIMS and The Joint Commission requirements. 

Shelter-in-Place Checklist

in
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Planning Resources for California Hospitals picture

Attached are a CHA Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Planning Checklist tool and a decision-making algorithm for SIP and evacuation activation. The Checklist and decision tree are to assist hospitals with developing and/or reviewing and updating their plans. Updated hospital evacuation plans and shelter in place protocols documenting a hospital’s critical decision making processes are a Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Year 7 requirement.

AHRQ Web-based Mass Evacuation Transportation Planning Model

in

AHRQ has released a model to help federal, state, and local emergency planners estimate the vehicles, drivers, road capacity and other resources they will need to evacuate patients and others from health care facilities in disaster areas.

Hospital Evacuation - Incident Planning Guide for Hospitals

in

Does your hospital's emergency management plan address complete or partial facility evacuation?

Syndicate content