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Learn from the Katrina impact on Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and how to efficiently manage patient inflow during disasters. Discover key lessons on coordination, media communication, equipment interoperability, and staff well-being.
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Receiving Patients in an Evacuation Allyn Whaley-Martin Director, Safety Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Region 2 Hospital Coordinator
8 7 6 9 2 4 5 3 1 Hospital Disaster Response Regional Structure
Incident Command State Emergency Operations Center Louisiana Hospitals Assn. Dept. Health & Hospitals Louisiana Nursing Homes Assn. Gov. Office Homeland Security & Emergency Prep. Other State Agencies Parish Emergency Operations Center Parish Emergency Operations Center Police Fire EMS Other Parish Agencies Region X Designated Regional Coordinator Hospital A Hospital B Hospital C
Disaster Response Philosophy • Work together. • Share resources. • Communicate.
Katrina Impact - Region 2 • East Baton Rouge Parish population increased 22%* increase in population within the first week. • 10,000* people sheltered. • Healthcare capacity across the Region stretched.
Katrina Impact –Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center • ED treated over 3000 patients in the first 8 days. • OLOL Hospital sheltered home ventilator patients • OLOL Children’s Hospital received 28 infants from evacuated New Orleans hospitals.
Katrina Impact – Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center • Nursing Homes housed 70 residents, plus caregivers and family members from evacuated residential facilities. • Lake Line Direct experienced a 30% increase in call volume per day.
Katrina Impact – Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center • College Nursing and Allied Health programs provided medical care to people in general shelters. • Staff and Physicians volunteered at Special Medical Needs Shelter / Field Hospital. • Pharmacy and Laboratory provided outreach services to Special Medical Needs Shelter / Field Hospital.
Relationships are critical to an effective response. • Access to resources • Political support • Information
Everyone relies on hospitals during disasters. • Medical Care • Shelter • Food • Electricity
Obtain patient “buy-in” to surge plans. • Manage expectations. • Bring resources to the victim.
Medical support is needed in public shelters. • Chronic Illnesses • Oxygen and power • Prescription-writing • Outpatient Dialysis • Mental Health
Evacuees won’t bring their medical records... • Vulnerable Populations Cancer Patients Elderly Pediatrics
…but they will bring their pets! • Hospital-based sheltering not planned. • Community alternatives limited.
Patient tracking must begin with the first person rescued. • Define a central point to assist locating loved ones. • Coordinated systems across all hospitals, public and private shelters.
Work with the Media. • Maintain open lines of communication, with appropriate boundaries. • Say what you know. • Share information responsibly.
In the absence of information, people will create their own “truths”. • Busses of patients? • Public Health Issues? • Rescue Concerns?
Emphasize equipment interoperability. • No failures of communications equipment occurred, but not 100% reliable. • Incorporate volunteers into communication system. • Don’t ignore low-tech options.
Plan to be self-sufficient. • On-site cache? • Relationship with vendor/distributor. • Know HOW to ask for support from State and Federal agencies.
Without coordination, volunteers and donations provide little support • Coordinate with State credentialing process. • Discourage staff from inviting volunteers outside of command structure. • Carefully consider donated supplies.
Security support will not be available. • City / Parish Law Enforcement • National Guard • Private Security Resources • Lockdown vs. Access Control
Take care of your team. • Disaster Staffing Teams • Child / Elder care • Pets • Overtly recognize staff efforts
Small kindnesses are of great value during a disaster. • Provide shower and hot meal to patient family, responders. • Assigned a patient liaison to waiting rooms. • Leader rounds for staff.
Recovery begins during the response. • Monitor the “New Normal” volume. • Hire more staff! • Reinforce supply chain. • Support the community.
Something will fail. • All Hazards planning approach allows for flexibility. • Creativity / Innovation must be encouraged. • Stamina.