Hospital Mass Casualty Response Plan Considerations
From ASPR-TRACIE: The term “mass casualty incident” (MCI) refers to the combination of patients and care requirements that require mobilization of additional resources to meet the demand. MCIs generally occur without warning and a concise plan is needed to ensure rapid and efficient response. The Hospital Mass Casualty Response Plan Considerations document can assist hospitals in developing a new—or vetting an existing—MCI plan. Hospital Mass Casualty Response Plan Considerations 27th Annual Rural Health Conference
April 25 and 26, 2024 The 27th Annual Michigan Rural Health Conference will take place Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26 at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. This year's agenda is nearing the final stages, packed with dynamic presenters and programming, to deliver the best Rural Health Conference to date! View the draft agenda here. Register for the Conference 2024 Great Lakes Homeland Security Training, Conference, and Expo - Registration Now Open! May 7-9, 2024 The 2024 Great Lakes Homeland Security Training, Conference, and Expo will be held May 7 - 9 at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is hosted in partnership by the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Plan to attend for a dynamic three-day event packed full of presentations, panel discussions, keynote speakers, and networking as we work to enhance the capabilities of those who protect our homeland. This conference presents an opportunity to choose from 30 breakout sessions, visit over 40 vendors, and to collaborate with more than 1,000 professionals across multiple disciplines including, emergency management, law enforcement, fire, schools, and public health. 2024 MI Special Pathogens Response Network (SPRN) Conference June 18, 2024 The 2024 Michigan Special Pathogens Response Network (SPRN) Conference will be held on June 18, 2024. This one-day event will include training in the morning and an afternoon exercise for hospitals and EMS agencies. Please share the save the date with HCC partners. Save the Date for the 2024 MI SPRN Conference MDRO Management Webinar March 6, 2024 MDHHS Surveillance for Healthcare-Associated & Resistant Pathogens Unit is providing a comprehensive webinar on managing Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDRO) and leveraging the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS). This webinar will delve into topics including Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms and Candida auris reporting, case investigations, and strategies for supporting robust Infection Prevention and Control measures. Discover how local health departments are collaborating and pooling resources to tackle MDRO cases effectively. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and readiness in combating MDRO threats within your community. Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Register Here American Hospital Association (AHA) Podcast: Supporting Heart-Healthy Pregnancies, Postpartum Care Listen to the latest episode of AHA's Advancing Health podcast which explores the medical complications that can accompany pregnancy, successful prenatal and postpartum treatment programs, and how hospitals and health systems are addressing the social needs of new mothers. Pregnancy is a major stressor on a woman’s body, with cardiovascular conditions being one of the most prevalent complications and leading causes of maternal mortality. In this episode, learn how Orlando Health is reaching outside its walls to support heart-healthy pregnancies and postpartum periods for new mothers. Listen to the full podcast episode from AHA. Stop the Bleed: Liability Clauses in Michigan The liability laws in Michigan are specific. The only times that a bystander has immunity is for specific carve outs such as CPR, naloxone, and epi pens. There is no mention anywhere of Stop the Bleed. So, civil liability exception is broad, EMS liability exception is broad, health care professional good Samaritan liability protection is broad. No bystander immunity for Stop the Bleed. This is the current language that we have been discussing doing before each course and/or attached to our kits is:
Save the Date: Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP) 2025 Conference Save the Date The AHEPP Annual 2025 Pre-Conference and Conference is scheduled for February 24 - 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. More Information and Early Registration Available Here Medical Response and Surge Exercise (MRSE) Update The MRSE Support Team has resumed hosting monthly office hours to provide technical assistance and discuss any questions about MRSE planning, executing, and reporting. March office hours have not been announced. The MRSE Support Team and project officers are available to assist with MRSE planning, execution, and Exercise Reporting Tool reviews. A MRSE Recipient Review Guide to aid recipients in their final review of MRSE Tools before HCC submission to the Coalition Assessment Tool. The guide will be published on the MRSE web page in the coming weeks. Please submit any questions to the MRSE mailbox. You may also request a one-on-one session with the MRSE Support Team by emailing the MRSE mailbox.
Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers Fifty-three (53) million Americans are caring for someone older, ill, or disabled. In many cases, they may be the only one attending to the daily needs of an elderly parent, disabled neighbor, or medically complex child. Those in their care depend on them for their safety and well-being—especially during emergencies. In recognition of their unparalleled dedication and commitment to those in their care, FEMA and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers have created this Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers to help them navigate the unique challenges that may arise when disasters strike. Read and Share the Full Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers CMS Statement on Continued Action to Respond to the Cyberattack on Change Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is continuing to monitor and assess the impact that the cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary Change Healthcare has had on all provider and supplier types. Today, CMS is announcing that, in addition to considering applications for accelerated payments for Medicare Part A providers, we will also be considering applications for advance payments for Part B suppliers. Over the last few days, we have continued to meet with health plans, providers and suppliers to hear about their most pressing concerns. As announced previously, we have directed our Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to expedite actions needed for providers and suppliers to change the clearinghouse they use and to accept paper claims if providers need to use that method. We will continue to respond to provider and supplier inquiries regarding MAC processes. CMS also recognizes that many Medicaid providers are deeply affected by the impact of the cyberattack. We are continuing to work closely with States and are urging Medicaid managed care plans to make prospective payments to impacted providers, as well. All MACs will provide public information on how to submit a request for a Medicare accelerated or advance payment on their websites as early as today, Saturday, March 9. CMS looks forward to continuing to support the provider community during this difficult situation. All affected providers should reach out to health plans and other payers for assistance with the disruption. CMS has encouraged Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations to offer advance funding to providers affected by this cyberattack. The rules governing CMS’s payments to MA organizations and Part D sponsors remain unchanged. Please note that nothing in this statement speaks to the arrangements between MA organizations or Part D sponsors and their contracted providers or facilities. CMS Statement Fact Sheet Free Live Webinar: How SNFs Can Combat Burnout and Improve Nurse Retention
February 26, 2024 McKnight Long-Term Care News and Inovalon are offering a free podcast-style discussion where actionable tips are presented to address staff burnout and turnover that can be implemented today. This discussion will help identify how — with the right technology in place — SNFs can be best positioned to meet 2024 goals. Regulated staffing levels are likely to impact quality care scores and reimbursements in SNFs in the future. And with a CMS Minimum Staffing Rule looming on the horizon, SNFs are looking for answers on how to get ahead of the curve. Among the top strategies to address nurse burnout, many themes continue to stand out: improving communication, increasing flexibility, and supplementing staff. Learning objectives:
Laurie Laxton, RN,BSN,CMAS,CCFA,RAC-CT,IP-BC,QCP, Principal Clinical Trainer at Inovalon. Register for the Webinar Meet the CMS Requirement: Virtually Facilitated Tabletop Exercise for Skilled Nursing Facilities Superior Health Quality Alliance is hosting a series of facilitated, virtual, tabletop exercises with functional elements will meet the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement for one annual, full-scale, community-based exercise. The scenario will focus on a cybersecurity threat with information technology failure, a commonly identified hazard in a facility Hazard Vulnerability Analysis. Participants will be encouraged to take action to test a functional element of their plan, such as testing their communications plan (internal or external), completing the Incident Action Plan Quick Start form, or contacting community partners for clarification on their roles and responsibilities. The exercise will be controlled virtually while participants gather in their own skilled nursing facility with their leadership team and invited community partners. There are a number of opportunities to attend one of these exercises from now until September 2024. Please share with your skilled-nursing facilities. For more information and registration click the link below. NIST SP 800-66 Rev.2: Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide NIST published the final version of Special Publication (SP) 800-66r2 (Revision 2), Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide. This publication, revised in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights, provides guidance for regulated entities (i.e., HIPAA-covered entities and business associates) on assessing and managing risks to electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), identifies typical activities that a regulated entity might consider implementing as part of an information security program, and presents guidance that regulated entities can utilize in whole or in part to help improve their cybersecurity posture and assist with achieving compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule. Dates and Registration State Plans Available in MIHAN for Review During 2023 and 2024, the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care has been working hard to complete plans and training for Healthcare Coalitions and other partners to use in their own planning and training. Please review the documents in the MIHAN for resources that may be useful. Currently, all documents are found under “Resource Sharing”, “Operational Guidelines/Plans/Regions”. Updated documents with their titles are found in the picture below: Please contact Jessica Gould or Lauren Korte if you have questions about the documents. Reusable Health Care Textiles for Personal Protective Equipment March 4 and 5, 2024 The National Academies will host a public workshop to examine opportunities to increase the use of reusable health care textiles (HCTs) for personal protective equipment (PPE) used in health care settings. Technical experts, policy makers, manufacturers, PPE users in health care, and others will have the opportunity to explore the potential benefits and feasibility of integrating more reusable HCTs into health care operations. Learn more on the project page. Register Now Assessing the Burden and Potential Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance March 4 and 5, 204 The National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats will host a virtual public workshop to address the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Millions of infections and deaths are associated with AMR annually, including resistant bacterial infections that are the leading causes of neonatal mortality worldwide. But there is a critical need to fully understand and consider how to quantify the impact of AMR throughout medical practice and everyday life, from treating cancer to optimizing food production. Speakers will touch upon current clinical hindrances and economic burdens of AMR, data availability and analytical methods, and emerging scientific breakthroughs. Discussions will reflect on potential new strategies that incorporate these insights to reduce the burden of AMR. Learn more on the event page. Registration Link 27th Annual Rural Health Conference April 25 and 26, 2024 The 27th Annual Michigan Rural Health Conference will take place Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26 at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant. This year's agenda is nearing the final stages, packed with dynamic presenters and programming, to deliver the best Rural Health Conference to date! View the draft agenda here. Register for the Conference 2024 Great Lakes Homeland Security Training, Conference, and Expo - Registration Now Open! May 7-9, 2024 The 2024 Great Lakes Homeland Security Training, Conference, and Expo will be held May 7 - 9 at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is hosted in partnership by the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Plan to attend for a dynamic three-day event packed full of presentations, panel discussions, keynote speakers, and networking as we work to enhance the capabilities of those who protect our homeland. This conference presents an opportunity to choose from 30 breakout sessions, visit over 40 vendors, and to collaborate with more than 1,000 professionals across multiple disciplines including, emergency management, law enforcement, fire, schools, and community health. HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds
February 20, 2024 The HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds are a new, virtual, peer-to-peer learning series which will focus on sharing clinical challenges and successes in preparing for and responding to disasters from all threats. The Clinical Readiness Rounds will build off of successes from ASPR and Project ECHO’s previous partnership to hold the HHS/ASPR Project ECHO COVID-19 Clinical Rounds between March 2020 and February 2022. The Clinical Readiness Rounds will serve as a critical mechanism for a multidisciplinary audience of clinicians to rapidly share promising practices for medical preparedness and response to disasters. Registration and Connection Information Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Updates Hospital Guidance on Texting Patient Information CMS has updated its guidance for hospitals and critical access hospitals to permit health care team members to share patient information and orders with each other through a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant secure texting platform that complies with Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation. CMS acknowledged that improvements in technology and encryption now allow secure texting that will transfer data into electronic health records. Read the full guidance from CMS. Facility Safety and Security in Health Care Virtual Convening Recording
The AHA’s Hospital Against Violence initiative presents a 75-minute virtual convening exploring facility safety and security strategies and the technologies that aim to mitigate workforce and workplace violence. Learn about new and innovative approaches to prevent targeted violence, improve physical and psychological safety and increase collaboration with law enforcement. Watch the Recording Here Michigan Center for Rural Health Education Available The Michigan Center for Rural Health has various training programs available for providers through the Project ECHO® Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) program. Project ECHO®'s mission is to develop the capacity to demonopolize knowledge and amplify the capacity to provide best practice care for underserved people. Education series are available on infectious disease, one health and geriatrics. Additionally, EMS Continuing Education is available, and free to all participants. Project ECHO Information and Registration 2024 EMS Education Schedule HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds Sessions
Starts February 6, 2024 ASPR's Office of Health Care Readiness (OHCR), in partnership with Project ECHO and dozens of other collaborating organizations, is planning to launch a new, virtual, peer-to-peer learning series, the HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds. The series will focus on sharing clinical challenges and successes in preparing for and responding to disasters from all threats and will build off of the successes from the prior partnership between OHCR and Project ECHO in conducing the COVID-19 Clinical Rounds between March 2020 and February 2022. Clinical Readiness Rounds sessions will occur every other Tuesday from 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET, with the first session, entitled "Where Are We? Where Have We Been? Where Are We Going?" to take place next Tuesday, February 6. Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credit will be available to participants in future Clinical Readiness Rounds sessions, however neither CME nor CNE credit will be available for the initial sessions in February 2024. Registration for the Clinical Readiness Rounds is open. Select here to register. FEMA Releases New Exercise Starter Kits February 13, 2024 Exercises help the whole community to prepare for disasters and emergencies by providing opportunities to shape planning, assess and validates capabilities, and address areas for improvement. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Exercise Division (NED) has developed ten new Exercise Starter Kits to support exercise practitioners and emergency managers at all levels of government, the private sector and nonprofit organizations as they plan, conduct, and evaluate their exercises. The ten new kits cover the following topics:
The new kits align with FEMA’s 2023-2026 National Exercise Program Principals’ Exercise Priorities. Each kit contains a sample exercise facilitator and evaluator guide, sample conduct slides, a sample situation manual and a customizable placemat. All Exercise Starter Kits are available in the Emergency Management Toolkit section of FEMA’s Preparedness Toolkit. FEMA will host a series of webinars to discuss the new kits. All webinars will offer the same content. Registration is not required to attend. Visit FEMA’s Adobe Connect Room for the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) during one of the times listed below to participate:
If you are unable to attend one of the webinars listed above, a recorded version of the webinar will be available on the Preparedness Toolkit HSEEP Webinars page starting Feb. 1. If you have any questions, please email NEP@fema.dhs.gov. American Medical Association (AMA): What Value-Based Care Is, and Why Everyone Is Talking About It What is value-based care? Interest in value-based care is at an all-time high. The latest episode of the AMA Update podcast gives an overview of this payment model and explores what's driving this growing interest in it and where the conversation about value-based care is headed in 2024. Listen to the full podcast episode from AMA. Listen to the full podcast episode from AMA. Rural Emergency Hospitals
Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that began on January 1, 2023. Congress established the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation in December 2020 in Section 125 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (Public Law 116-260) and in response to the loss of essential healthcare services in rural areas due to hospital closures. According to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, 140 rural hospitals closed between January 2010 and September 30, 2022. In addition, a February 2020 Chartis Group report identified 453 financially vulnerable rural hospitals at risk of closing. The REH designation is designed to maintain access to critical outpatient hospital services in communities that may not be able to support or sustain a Critical Access Hospital or small rural hospital. REHs are required to provide 24-hour emergency and observation services and can elect to furnish other outpatient services. Facilities designated as an REH will receive enhanced Medicare payments for certain outpatient services and additional monthly payments. Learn more about REH on ruralhealthinfo.org. Pediatric Hospital Office Hours
January 30, 2024 Dr. Samantha Mishra will be presenting on Pediatric Readiness Across the Continuum. Please join us as she delves into the importance of Pediatric Readiness in both the pre-hospital and hospital emergency departments, available resources and the role of the Pediatric Champion (also known as Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC)). See the attached flyer for more information. Special Pathogens Response Survey Due January 31, 2024 The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) and the Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) are conducting a needs assessment survey related to special pathogen preparedness to gather insights from healthcare facilities, public health partners and EMS organizations. Participation and response to this survey will play a pivotal role in shaping the development of workplans and prioritizing future projects for NETEC and the RESPTCs related to special pathogen preparedness. The insights gathered from this survey will be instrumental in:
The survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, if you are unable to complete the survey in one sitting, you can reenter and finish at a later time. Please complete the survey by January 31, 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Amy Encinger at amy.encinger@unmc.edu. To complete the survey Region V for Kid Pediatric Study Region V for Kids is funding a study on Hospital Emergency Preparedness in Rural and Critical Access Hospitals. The Primary Investigator is Dr. Steven Krug from Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. The study is looking for 2-3 hospitals in Michigan to participate. Corewell Health and Michigan Medicine have partnered to recruit rural hospital participation from within their own healthcare systems. There are no asks from the Coalitions. This is just for your information so if you receive any questions, you are aware of the study. If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Korte (kortel@michigan.gov). Region V for Kids Flyer Preparedness Lunch and Learn February 20, 2024 The Preparedness Lunch and Learn series continues with Pediatric Readiness on January 16, 2024, with a discussion on Hospital Mass Fatality Planning. Throughout the series topics will continue to build knowledge for emergency managers in hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as healthcare coalitions, local health departments, tribes and others. This series is the third Tuesday every month from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. For registration, visit MI-TRAIN, course ID # 1112624 for the entire series. Preparedness Lunch and Learn Topics American Medical Association (AMA): How Tribal Medical Education Programs Could Solve the Rural Health Care Crisis
In the latest episode of the AMA Update podcast, AMA takes a look at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s unique partnership with The Cherokee Nation. Natasha Bray, DO, dean of OSUCOM at the Cherokee Nation, joins to share how this innovative partnership came to life and the impact it’s expected to have in the local community. Dr. Bray details the unique clinical training students receive and why it’s important for physicians to truly understand the communities they serve. Listen to the full podcast episode from AMA. Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Web-Based Training ASPR has developed the HHS/ ASPR Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Web-Based Training to help public health officials, emergency managers, and social/human service providers learn how to address Access and Functional Needs (AFN) in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This is great class to take yourself and to share with HCC partners. PDF fact sheet for more information To take the course Operation Shelter-in-Place: A HazMat Incident – Training & Exercise Program for Healthcare Facilities The Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition (HCC) and Northeast Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee for Hazardous Materials (LEPC) partnered to create a training and exercise program intended to enhance the shelter-in-place capabilities of healthcare facilities in the event of a hazardous materials incident. The materials provided may be useful tools that you may use when creating similar education, training, and exercise items that meet the needs of our Michigan partners and facilities. Operation Shelter-in-Place Training & Exercise Documents Free Emergency Preparedness Training Available The Advancing Resilience for Community Health in Emergency Response (ARCHER) program is a free series of resources and training on emergency preparedness topics designed for health center staff. Developed by Healthcare Ready and the Centene Charitable Foundation, ARCHER provides resources for those responsible for daily preparedness planning and individuals new to the field and interested in learning more. Training resources are provided to guide teams through:
Free resources are available here! Free On-Demand Webinars Available free of charge until January 19, 2024 In celebration of Health Law Week, the American Health Law Association (AHLA) is providing two on-demand, previously recorded, webinars at no charge January 8-19, 2024: Recording Available: Lessons Learned from the Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Fire
For anyone unable to attend the webinar, the recording and PowerPoint slides for Lessons Learned from the Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Fire held on December 14, 2023 are now available. The PowerPoint presentation is now available on ASPR TRACIE (link below). The title page of the PowerPoint presentation includes a link to the webinar recording. The recording can also be directly accessed by clicking the link below. It will ask you to enter your name and email address prior to accessing the recording. Note that the short video showing the start of the fire and very initial response cannot be viewed during the recording. Signature Healthcare will release the full video at a future date. PowerPoint Slides Recorded Presentation |
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