We continue to be impressed and appreciative for the diligent hard work conducted by our friends at ASPR TRACIE, who seem to always be ahead of the ball when it comes to planning.
An example is a post we spotted last week on advance planning for community response and media management for no-notice events. (https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/74/volunteer-management/60#incorporating-volunteers-into-healthcare-disaster-response)
No one expects to be the focus of an emergency, but neither did the Las Vegas hospitals who responded to the horrible shooting there two years ago.
How those hospitals responded was remarkable, and the lessons learned are valuable.
Here are a few of our favorite hints:
• Expect volunteers to arrive at your door. Physicians, nurses, emergency medical services providers, and lay volunteers visiting Las Vegas from other jurisdictions offered their services.
• Be prepared to treat the media as partners rather than adversaries.
• Be prepared to tell the public what your facility does need. These items are typically welcomed by staff, patients, and patients’ loved ones, including Cell phone chargers, Deodorant, razors, and toiletries, Socks
These are just three of the many key points we all need to be aware of. Just in case.
Let us know if you have any others we should share.
Thank you, TRACIE!