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Current Emergency Preparedness Resources and Capabilities Among Academic Health Systems in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2018

Paul D. Biddinger ,
David Reisman ,
Robert F. Seger ,
Ann L. Prestipino ,
Julia Sinclair ,
Barry Wante ,
Eric Goralnick  and
Katherine Kemen
Paul D. Biddinger*
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
David Reisman
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Robert F. Seger
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Ann L. Prestipino
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
Julia Sinclair
Affiliation:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Barry Wante
Affiliation:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Eric Goralnick
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Katherine Kemen
Affiliation:
Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts
*
Correspondence and reprints request to Paul D. Biddinger, MD, Center for Disaster Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street Zero Emerson 344, Boston, MA 02114 (e-mail: Pbiddinger@partners.org)
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Abstract

Objective

Although hospital emergency preparedness efforts have been recognized as important, there has been growing pressure on cost containment, as well as consolidation within the US health care system. There is little data looking at what health care emergency preparedness functions have been, could be, or should be centrally coordinated at a system level.

Methods

We developed a questionnaire for academic health systems and asked about program funding, resources provided, governance, and activities. The questionnaire also queried managers’ opinions regarding the appropriate role for the system-level resources in emergency response, as well as about what is most helpful at the system-level supporting preparedness.

Results

Fifty-two of 97 systems (54%) responded. The most frequently occurring system-wide activities included: creating trainings or exercise templates (75%), promoting preparedness for employees in the system (75%), providing access to specific subject matter experts (73%), and developing specific plans for individual member entities within their system (73%). The top resources provided included a common mass notification system (71%), arranging for centralized contracts for goods and services (71%), and providing subject matter expertise (69%).

Conclusions

Currently, there is wide variation in the resources, capabilities, and programs used to support and coordinate system-level emergency preparedness among academic health systems. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:574–577)

Keywords

disaster planninghealth care economics and organizationsacademic medical centershealth care facilities, manpower, and services
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 12 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 574 - 577
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2018 

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References

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