10 April, 2011 (303 Days Ago)

Admin

United States, Arlington, Virginia

Throughout 2010, the headlines were riddled with disasters and incidents significantly testing the emergency preparedness of hospitals and healthcare communities. From the BP Gulf Oil Spill to ever increasing active shooter incidents, the immediate and long term impact of these events continues to challenge the local and regional incident command systems. In a sentinel event alert published June 3, 2010, The Joint Commission reported that between 1995-2009 there were 256 assaults, rapes and homicides of employees, patients and visitors in American healthcare facilities. Leadership noted in 62 percent of the events, most notably problems in the areas of policy and procedure development and implementation. 60 percent of the events noted an increased need for staff education and competency assessment processes. Violence in healthcare is on the rise as evidenced by the September 16, 2010 active shooter incident at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore Maryland. In addition, the constant threats of pandemics, bio-terrorism, severe weather related events, flooding, fires and mass casualties are ever present. How comprehensive are your EOP’s? Are you prepared to address the unique needs of a pediatric population? Are you prepared to identify and manage the behavioral health care needs of both your patients and healthcare providers? Do you have an Incident Command Plan in your community? The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources 7th Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference was designed and developed by nationally recognized industry experts. The focus of this team of healthcare professionals was to create an event that addressed the six critical elements of emergency preparedness while weaving in the Joint Commission’s emergency management accreditation standards. This year’s conference theme of “Collaboration, Continuity and Community” will set the stage and provide a forum for faculty and attendees to share their organization's emergency operation plans and best demonstrated practices. The plenary sessions will include a panel of hospital, non-hospital and community representatives discussing a model of a successful collaborative plan. The individual track sessions will offer a spectrum of diverse topics, integrating best demonstrated practices and Joint Commission accreditation standards compliance. Who should attend: Hospital emergency staff, safety officers, medical directors, nursing trauma coordinators, security directors, facilities managers, operations directors, emergency response planners, members of community agencies involved with developing emergency plans for their community.