HOSPITALS ARCHIVES
Finding Comfort Around the World
Catherine L. Feinman
March 16, 2011
The Navy Hospital Ship USNS Comfort was pushed into the spotlight last year during its 60-day disaster-relief mission in Haiti following the massive 7.0 earthquake that struck that tortured island on 12 January 2010. Formerly the SS Rose City, an oil tanker, the Comfort has actually been carrying out a broad range of disaster-relief, humanitarian-assistance,
Future Chemical Challenges: Common Operating Picture Needed to Manage Common Problems
Michael E. Forgey
March 9, 2011
Future chemical challenges facing the United States far into the foreseeable future will be both more frequent and more deadly than those encountered in the halcyon years of the 20th century. Which is why the time is NOW to prepare to meet those challenges head-on and, if prevention does not
Tailoring an Emergency Operations Plan
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
March 2, 2011
The old tailor’s maxim – “Measure twice; cut once” – is also a suitable approach to the writing of an all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan for a health department. Here is a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide to the planning, writing, reviewing, and approval processes necessary to the drafting, development, and dissemination
When High-Tech Fails: Back to Plan B
Joseph Cahill
March 2, 2011
Modern communications systems are a marvel to behold – and to use. And they keep getting better, generation after generation. The only problem, though, is that they sometimes fail, for inexplicable reasons and at the worst possible times. Which is why a backup system (pen and paper, perhaps?) is still
Public Health Emergency Resilience: The Next Challenging Step
Bruce Clements
February 23, 2011
The four keys to maintaining and improving the nation’s public health and emergency preparedness, according to HSPD-21 and other policy directives, are improved capabilities in bio-surveillance, countermeasures distribution, mass-casualty care, and community resilience. Considerable progress has been made in upgrading the first three of those essential “components” – but the
Pre-Exposure Anthrax Vaccination: A Horse & Cart Situation
Thomas K. Zink
February 9, 2011
On one side of the scale is “probably less than one gram of anthrax.” On the other side are an estimated six million doses of vaccine thrown away each year – as well as, quite possibly, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. It says here that the
Air National Guard Resumes Life-Saving CCATT Mission
Ellen Krenke
February 9, 2011
Despite facing some of the most deadly combat environments in the nation’s history, the d”saved rate” of forward-deployed U.S. military units on the frequently shifting battleground in Pakistan and Afghanistan is also at a record high – thanks in large part to the medics/corpsmen, doctors, nurses, and CCATT-enriched aerovac units
Health/Medical Factors Critical in Pre-Planned Events
Raphael M. Barishansky
January 19, 2011
FEMA, the FBI, and the Secret Service have primary jurisdiction, appropriately, for the safety of National Special Security Events. But the literally life-or-death responsibilities of local medical and healthcare facilities and personnel mandates that they also are fully included in the long-range planning sessions preceding such events.
Pre-Planned Events: An Aid to Preparedness
Joseph Cahill
January 5, 2011
The shopping list for a typical marathon requires that a number of “comfort stations” be available – also some ambulances and EMS techs, plus police and/or volunteers to seal off and protect a mere 26 miles plus of roads, traffic circles, bridges, and other urban thoroughfares. So why not get
Healthcare Emergency Preparedness: An Improved Game Plan for 2011
Mitch Saruwatari
December 15, 2010
The names of the players, the weekly practices, and the physical skills required may be different, but the principles are the same: Teamwork, advance preparation, proper coaching, and dedication are essential to final victory – whether the battle is on the football field, at the scene of a mass-casualty incident,
Lessons Learned: Mass Casualties and Communication Gaps
Sophia Paros
December 8, 2010
Emergency communications is key to incident management – and critical, both during and following, mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers detonated bombs between 8:50 a.m. and 9:47 a.m. on three underground commuter trains and a street bus in central London. Those bombings broke down the below-ground
Leadership at the Scene of a Mass-Casualty Incident
Joseph Cahill
December 1, 2010
Not surprisingly, almost all media coverage of MCI situations focuses on the incident itself, the innocent victims, and the heroism shown by EMS techs and other responders. Little if any attention is paid, though, to the mundane organizational and administrative tasks involved in establishing an effective, well trained, and exceptionally
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