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Emergency Management Alert

Issue 21, June 3, 2008

• Helicopter crashes on hospital roof

  A pilot and passenger escaped with their lives after a helicopter crashed on the roof of the...

• New assessment tool for evaluating emergency shelters

  To help environmental health practitioners rapidly assess the health and safety of emergency and...

• Study shows some avian flu strains point to higher risk of pandemic

  Some strains of avian flu have moved closer to developing the traits required to cause a human...

• Week promotes safety within fire/EMS service

  Next week marks the 2008 Fire/EMS Safety, Health, and Survival Week, which runs from June 22-28...

Issue 20, May 27, 2008

• New law in West Virginia to protect hospital workers from violence

  Under a new law, which will take effect in West Virginia June 9, people who attack hospital workers...

• Hospital goes into lock down after gun threat

  Hospitals officials locked down the SLV Medical Center and its associated medical facilities in...

• Look for posting of Joint Commission's 2009 standards in July

  Hospital officials should get a preview this summer of The Joint Commission’s emergency...

• Satellites provide information, but distribution still a problem

  Two recent disasters—the Myanmar cyclone and Chinese earthquake—demonstrated that the...

• Gulf Coast officials prepare for start of hurricane season

  With the hurricane season set to begin June 1, Gulf Coast officials attended a three-day conference...

• Vermont hospitals test response to influenza pandemic

  Eleven Vermont hospitals will work with state Health Department and Emergency Management June 11 to...

Issue 19, May 20, 2008

• OSHA seeks comments on stockpiling respirators for pandemic

  OSHA released a draft guidance on stockpiling respirators and facemasks during an influenza...

• Natural disasters test emergency response

  Two natural disasters in tightly-ruled Asian nations this month produced two very different...

• Drills test emergency response plans for next Super Bowl

  While the event is many months away, the city of Tampa and Florida’s Hillsborough County held...

Issue 18, May 13, 2008

• Hospital ERs unprepared to handle terrorist attacks

  Nearly seven years after 9/11, the country’s ERs and hospitals are not prepared to deal with...

• Pandemic flu still a substantial threat

  Although the threat of an influenza pandemic may have dropped off some people’s radar...

• Mock tornadoes test Oklahoma emergency workers

  A full scale exercise, in which a series of mock tornadoes tore through the region, tested...

Issue 17, May 6, 2008

• The Joint Commission caps some EP scores under emergency management

  The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) has pulled back on fully scoring some provisions within its...

• Further review urged on Boston biolab

  The National Research Council, an independent advisory board made up of scientists, called on the...

• Report offers recommendations on who gets care in a disaster

  It’s a question fraught with legal, ethical, and political pitfalls, but a new report makes...

Issue 16, April 29, 2008

• NY Senate passes bill to protect nurses from workplace violence

  A bill designed to protect nurses from workplace violence and abuse was recently passed by the New...

• Safety concerns for Ontario nurses

  A patient waiting in the emergency department of the Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital in...

• U.S. and Canadian agencies to test emergency preparedness

  Emergency responders in the United States and Canada will start an eight-day exercise April 30 to...

Issue 15, April 22, 2008

• TB remains a risk for healthcare workers

  Globally, tuberculosis (TB) cases per capita have fallen since 2003 reported NIOSH eNews in April...

• CDC advises on measles outbreak

  The CDC issued a health advisory April 2 detailing the efforts to control a measles outbreak in...

• Nurses association issues disaster guidelines for healthcare professionals

  Emergency response planners need to consider patient care guidelines and regulations, the American...

Issue 14, April 15, 2008

• Katrina physician: More steps needed in disaster preparation

  Hospitals and the government need to take further steps to better prepare for community...

• The need to protect healthcare workers in influenza pandemic

  Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers will be a critical component in...

• FCC adopts rules for emergency mobile-device text alerts

  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on April 9 adopted rules to allow the delivery of...

Issue 13, April 8, 2008

• Hands-only CPR gets a recommendation

  In a move that may make it more likely that bystanders will jump in to help in an emergency, the...

• Tip of the week: Prepare for dialysis patients during disasters

  Make sure your emergency plans don't short-change an important service to the community: dialysis...

• CDC offers education to stop unsafe injection practices

  Concerned about recent health hazards created by unsafe injection practices, the CDC hosted an...

Issue 12, April 1, 2008

• FEMA learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina

  The federal government learned from the mistakes it made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and...

• Robots detect danger in emergency situations

  Emergency response crews in West Virginia are learning how to use new technology such as robots in...

• Pandemic drills help with quick decision-making

  Recent pandemic influenza response exercises have helped the CDC improve its tools for making...

Issue 11, March 18, 2008

• HCPro, Inc. launches new logo and tagline

  HCPro, Inc. is launching a new corporate branding campaign designed to reflect the company's focus...

• Kansas distributes online pandemic toolkit for special-needs populations

  Readers of this e-zine know about Texas' recent move toward helping special needs populations in...

• Flood waters carry risk of infection, diarrhea among victims and responders

  Every emergency responder knows that flood waters can be gross. They hasten the spread of infection...

• Group calls government to account on pandemic flu planning

  The current government plan for production of the vaccine for pandemic flu does not reflect the...

• Roche, FDA confirm link of Tamiflu to severe psychiatric problems

  Roche Laboratories Inc. and the Federal Drug Administration have confirmed the relationship between...

• Florida bill would shield emergency workers from lawsuits

  In an effort to get more physicians willing to take call at hospital emergency departments, a...

Issue 10, March 11, 2008

• California unveils hospital surge plan, cabinet-level volunteer agency

  The state of California has introduced two major additions to its emergency management structure.

• Joe Cappiello on why emergency planners should network

  "It's almost a cliché, but the saying is true: The onset of disaster is not the time to trade...

• Joint Commission investigates California hospital after power failure

  The Joint Commission is investigating how administrators at Sacramento's Mercy General handled a...

• Hazmat quiz time: Formaldehyde

  Q: What type of respirator is required for a formaldehyde spill?

Issue 9, February 29, 2008

• CDC: Public health disaster response capability better since 9/11

  Are public health departments better able to respond to disasters than they were before 9/11?

• Utility refuses to restore juice to EM services in ice storm; battle ensues

  Do emergency responders have the right to demand electrical power during an emergency? Does the...

• Q&A: How do I ID those at risk for elopement during a disaster?

  Q: Is there an emergency operations plan (EOP) standard for identifying those at risk for elopement...

• Q&A: Is there an EOP standard regarding elopement during a disaster?

  Q: Is there an emergency operations plan (EOP) standard for identifying those at risk for elopement...

• Link: Get the new NIMS Training Guidelines here

  Do you have your very own copy of the new National Incident Management System (NIMS) Five-Year...

Issue 8, February 21, 2008

• Tips for maintaining ventilators (until your government gift arrives)

  In our February 12 edition of EMA we reported that the Bush administration recently allocated $25...

• Diabetes disaster checklist

  Some who caught the American Diabetes Association (ADA) piece in the February 18 issue of EMA...

• Texas appoints community group special-needs disaster resource

  The Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management is tapping into existing resources to set up...

• NOAA expands northern Maine emergency communications

  Forgive us for running two Maine items in one month, but having been snowed in at Presque Isle and...

Issue 7, February 15, 2008

• Treating diabetics in a disaster: Patients, physicians should preplan

  This month's severe weather in the South called attention to the need for preplanning for those...

• Do you know about CERT? Does CERT know about you?

  In expectation of pressure from The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) and others on...

• Bed-tracking issues? Don't surf HHS; go to AHRQ

  Frustration of the day: You want to look up information about the Department of Health and Human...

• NIMH releases results of study on mass-trauma mental health

  How does one plan for the psychological fallout attending a disaster? Offer hope, for starters...

Issue 6, February 12, 2008

• Britney Surge taxes LA emergency services

  Last month, when Britney Spears was committed to a mental health facility, she...

• Bush cuts preparedness dollars but preserves funds for ventilators

  When the Bush administration unveiled a $3.1 trillion budget for the 2009 fiscal year...

• One hospital's tornado story: How drill prep saved lives

  Last week's devastating tornadoes reminded us of the story of a hospital in Georgia whose emergency...

• Q&A: Power outages and the 96-hour rule

  How would emergency managers amend current plans to prepare for a power outage--while still...

Issue 5, February 5, 2008

• New OSHA publication focuses on security worker safety

  There's a new government publication from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration...

• Joint Commission readies for emergency preparedness conference

  The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources are gearing up for their fourth annual...

• St. Louis hospital losing its ED doctors to staffing issues

  Here's a story about an ED staffing issue at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis that...

• Federal judge clears U.S. Army on levee breaks but gives them an earful

  A federal judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over...

Issue 4, January 29, 2008

• DHS site a go-to source for EM downloads, advice, training

  If you already know about the Lessons Learned Information Sharing network of the U.S...

• How is The Joint Commission's 96-hour rule not a 96-hour rule?

  Find out by reading this item from a special report published by our colleagues at Briefings on...

• Prompted by CDC, IOM lays out post-PAHPA priorities for research

  There is an immediate and critical need to define research priorities for the Centers for Public...

• Off-topic: Pathologists debunk myth of Coca-Cola assay

  Forgive us, please, us for going off-topic, but what the heck, you're the mass casualty people...

Issue 3, January 22, 2008

• Factors to consider when choosing an incident commander

  What makes for a good incident commander? Whom to choose?

• Pandemic planning in Texas crosses cultural, geographical borders

  Planners in Texas are preparing the U.S./Mexico border for an influenza pandemic by drawing on a...

• List of states failing SNS medical supply distribution requirements

  Here's a list of states that lack adequate plans to distribute vaccines, antidotes, and supplies in...

• Safety credentials cheat sheet: Network with confidence

  You no longer have to hide in the corner at safety convention cocktail parties, now that you have...

Issue 2, January 15, 2008

• Maine responders test new EM radio technology

  BAE Systems' First InterComm system, which enables radios on different frequencies to...

• Use this script for addressing the public during a time of crisis

  What do you say to calm the public at the onset of a disaster? (Or when you can't get hold of the...

• Read this story to find out why Tony Soprano will survive a pandemic

  If the bird flu hits, Tony Soprano's chances of surviving are better than most--and not just...

• OIG: Emergency staffing, on-call systems suffer at physician-owned hospitals

  The Office of Inspector General (OIG) says the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...

Issue 1, January 8, 2008

• The Pou Story: Lessons from Katrina

  It sounds like fodder for a movie: A hurricane hits a hospital and there is no electric power...

• From "Nerp" to "Nerf": Keep up on your DHS lingo

  When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) renamed the National Response Plan the National...

• EC.4.13: It's all about communication

  The Joint Commission's new standard EC.4.13 states that "the organization...

• January 31 audioconference: EMAC and public health response

  Those who are familiar with the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) may know it as a...

Issue 50, December 30, 2008

• Study looks at chlorine gas disaster

  A new study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine delivers important insight into...

• FEMA releases revised NIMS

  On December 18, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released an updated edition of the...

• New Jersey tries out new communication system

  Burlington County, NJ, has begun using a new, more comprehensive communications system, which...

Issue 49, December 23, 2008

• New tool assists in mass evacuation planning

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released an online tool that will assist...

• Study shows where natural disasters hit hardest

  A study conducted by University of South Carolina’s Hazards and Vulnerability Research...

• HHS releases guidelines for stockpiling antiviral drugs

  It’s been widely recognized that stockpiling drugs is one of the chief concerns in mitigating...

Issue 48, December 16, 2008

• Budget cuts threaten emergency preparedness programs

  As if you haven’t heard enough about the economy forcing businesses around the country to...

• Emergency care in the U.S. get's near failing grade

  Remember getting that middle school report card that you were just dreading to show your...

• Fight for FEMA aid resumes at Katrina ravaged hospital

  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to pay $150 million for hurricane-related...

Issue 47, December 9, 2008

• Illinois releases preparedness guide for those with disabilities

  The state of Illinois has released a comprehensive disaster preparedness guidebook for senior...

• Microsoft research project could aid disaster communication

  One of the biggest hurdles during a major disaster is coordination and communication between all...

• New evacuation method for immobile patients

   Hospitals in Tulsa, OK are practicing a new way to evacuate patients who can’t walk...

Issue 46, December 2, 2008

• Maryland ambulance crews hesitant to use helicopters

  Since a September 28 medical helicopter crash in Prince George County, MD, killed four people...

• Hospital shooting leaves one dead

  Typically a hospital is the scene after the crime, but last week, an Alaska hospital quickly became...

• "Google Flu Trends" could help with preparation

  You probably use the Google search engine at least every day. But did you ever think that Google...

• What is your facility's vaccination rate?

  Every Monday, OSHA Healthcare Advisor will post a new question on a broad range of subjects. This...

Issue 45, November 25, 2008

• Study shows Midwestern earthquake could cause significant damage

  Never mind California, the Midwest is next in line for serious earthquake damage, according to a...

• Emergency management planning for nursing homes

  In light of the recent earthquakes and wildfires in California, more emphasis has been placed on...

• Update: California hospital loses power

  Last week, you may have read an article in this publication about a fire at Olive View-UCLA Medial...

Issue 44, November 18, 2008

• Largest earthquake drill prepares California

  One of the largest earthquakes ever hit California last Thursday, and nobody felt a...

• Inflatable tents provide quick, safe mobile medical centers

  Forget water, just add air.   That’s the new procedure for the inflatable mobile...

• Hurricane-damaged hospital plans to lay off 3,800 employees

  The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston announced plans to lay off 3,800 employees...

Issue 43, November 11, 2008

• New "dirty bomb"sensors in D.C. hospital

  With increased awareness being placed on biological attacks, a private Washington D.C hospital has...

• DHS increases emergency preparedness funding

  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its plan for fiscal year 2009, which...

• Defense Science Board releases bioterrorism priorities for Obama administration

  The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) wasted no time adding to the list of priorities for...

Issue 42, November 4, 2008

• Location of new Texas Bio lab is suspect

  On November 11, the University of Texas will open a new biological defense laboratory that will...

• Study shows state agencies have been slow to utilize the Internet

  After Hurricane Karina devastated New Orleans in 2005, emergency managers at the local, state, and...

• Connecticut mobile hospital receives $8 million in federal funding

  Connecticut is looking to become a national resource for mobile hospitals. The $8 million in...

• Tip of the Week: Check out OSHA Healthcare Advisor

  Have you heard about my new blog dealing with OSHA compliance for healthcare facilities?

Issue 41, October 28, 2008

• Florida Bioterrorism funds reviewed

  According to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) may...

• Flu shot drive-though proves successful

  Although it may sound unconventional, health officials in San Joaquin County, California are taking...

• New Jersey reveals new emergency response plan

  After 18 months of planning, New Jersey has released a new state emergency management plan dubbed...

Issue 40, October 21, 2008

• Checklist evaluates legal issues of pandemic flu planning

  It’s time for emergency management professionals to add another job title to their list...

• Study finds ED staff concerned "dirty bomb" attack

  A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has found that...

• Helicopter crashes prompt a move for stricter regulations

  A fatal October 17 medevac helicopter crash in Auroroa, IL has prompted the National Transportation...

Issue 39, October 14, 2008

• Georgia Tech releases model for food distribution

  The Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a model to gauge food distribution and school...

• Los Angeles pediatric center leads the way in disaster planning for children

  With so many things to account for during a disaster, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles...

• Maryland officials adjust helicopter protocol

  Just one week after a deadly medevac helicopter crash in Prince George’s county, Maryland...

Issue 38, October 7, 2008

• After Gustav, bigger generators needed

  Healthcare officials reported that loss of power was the number one problem for Louisiana hospitals...

• California bill strengthens emergency management

  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger closed out the month of September by approving legislation...

• Ohio hospital gets CDC recognition

  The Akron Regional Hospital Association in Akron, OH recently received high praise from the Centers...

Issue 37, September 30, 2008

• Minnesota introduces portable hospital

  During a catastrophe, one primary focus of emergency management personnel is how quickly they can...

• CDC funds preparedness projects

  Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote a large check to 29 state and...

• Medical helicopter crashes in Maryland

  A medical helicopter crashed in a suburban Washington D.C. park in the early morning hours of...

Issue 36, September 23, 2008

• Emergency management in the virtual world

  Rarely do you hear the phrases “video games” and “emergency management&rdquo...

• New online tool helps hospitals gauge resources

  Planning for biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological attacks can be particularly challenging...

• L.A. hospitals well-prepared for Metrolink crash

  After a Los Angeles Metrolink crash in 2005 left 11 people dead and a car crash in the Santa Monica...

Issue 35, September 16, 2008

• Hospital trouble in Hurricane Ike

  Hurricane Ike pummeled the Gulf Coast area of Texas over the weekend, damaging some hospitals and...

• DePaul hospital handles hazmat incident

  While hurricanes and tropical storms offer at least some degree of predictability, incidents...

• Medical response to Minnesota bridge collapse evaluated

  Minneapolis Emergency Medical Service (EMS) teams had their hands full in August of last year when...

Issue 34, September 9, 2008

• Storms keep hospitals busy

  The recovery from Hurricane Gustav has kept Louisiana hospitals busy and now preparations are...

• Emergency preparations in place

  The preparations for Hurricane Gustav showcased how some hospitals think big when it comes to...

• "Uncle Sam" asks: Are you ready for an emergency?

  September is National Preparedness Month and the Department of Homeland Security reminds citizens...

Issue 33, September 2, 2008

• Safety problems play role in lost accreditation for NC hospital

  A state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina has lost its Joint Commission accreditation in part...

• OSHA renews Red Cross alliance

  OSHA and the American Red Cross renewed an alliance to improve employee awareness of safety and...

• Tip of the week: Drill for internal disasters

  Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, evacuated on June 13 after floodwaters rose on its...

Issue 32, August 26, 2008

• Report says pandemic flu bigger threat than terrorism in U.K.

  Pandemic flu, not terrorism, is the most serious risk to the public in the United Kingdom...

• Bioterrorism defense remains a top priority

  Despite the lessons learned over the past decade or so, bioterrorism threats such as anthrax remain...

• New York law on nurses' overtime provides exceptions in disasters

  New York Gov. David Paterson has signed legislation banning mandatory overtime for registered...

Issue 31, August 19, 2008

• CDC issues infection prevention recommendations for certain mass casualties

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations for postexposure...

• New EM standards further delineate annual review topics

  In advance of our Environment of Care for 2009 seminar in Boston on September 5, we wanted to share...

• Better planning and preparation create more effective disaster response

  Federal agencies responding to this summer’s wave of natural disasters have shown a different...

Issue 30, August 12, 2008

• Emergency department closed after chemical scare

  On August 9 officials temporarily closed the emergency department at Children’s Healthcare of...

• Ambulance catches fire outside hospital ED

  About 50 firefighters responded to Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY, August 10 to put out an electric...

• County plans for influenza pandemic

  To ease the overcrowding of emergency departments in the event of a global outbreak of influenza...

Issue 29, August 5, 2008

• Earthquake results in minor injuries to one hospital's patients

  At least one southern California healthcare facility dealt with damage and patient injuries after...

• HHS releases pandemic vaccine guidance

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security have...

• Hospital recognized for emergency response to bridge collapse

  It was just over a year ago that the heavily traveled Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis...

Issue 28, July 29, 2008

• New Hampshire towns hit by tornado

  One of the first steps in developing emergency plans is performing a risk assessment to find out...

• Study finds nursing homes unprepared for pandemic flu

  If your hospital is counting on local nursing homes to take an overflow of patients in the event of...

• Emergency planning a hot topic at ASHE's conference

  The American Society for Healthcare Engineering’s (ASHE) annual conference took place last...

Issue 27, July 22, 2008

• 2009 Joint Commission standards keep focus on disaster planning

  The Joint Commission’s move to put its emergency management standards into a separate chapter...

• Louisiana physicians get legal protection after Katrina

  The state of Louisiana has passed landmark legislation designed to protect medical personnel from...

• Hospital establishes physicians' disaster-training program

  Memorial Hospital in Johnstown, PA, has begun a new emergency medicine residency program.

Issue 26, July 15, 2008

• Joint Commission posts its 2009 safety standards

  The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) has posted its 2009 safety standards online.

• Flu expert says vaccinations are part of the job

  Criticizing the low percentage of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers, William...

• High marks for FEMA in response to Midwest floods

  In sharp contrast to almost three years ago when Hurricane Katrina made the Federal Emergency...

Issue 25, July 8, 2008

• Bird flu exhibits enhanced potential to infect humans

  New study results released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that...

• Review your plans for EC.4.18, Joint Commission official says

  Many of The Joint Commission’s revised emergency management standards continue to be...

• Preview our video titles online

  Have you checked out clips from our DVD library on YouTube?

Issue 24, July 1, 2008

• Pandemic drill teaches practical lessons

  A recent pandemic drill in Columbus, NE, confirmed that if you have a preplanned message to...

• Iowa hospitals launch employee relief effort

  The Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) has set up a relief fund to help the hundreds of hospital...

• Guidance posted on PPE for emergency responders

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has just posted guidance information on...

Issue 23, June 24, 2008

• Catastrophic flooding forces Iowa hospital evacuation

  In a series of incidents reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina, floodwaters have devastated areas of the...

• Federal government takes action to meet emergency health needs

  To help hospitals and nursing homes receiving patients and residents evacuated from flooded...

• Police respond to hospital after mock hostage drill mistake

  It was only a drill, but an employee from another facility, who didn’t realize that a mock...

Issue 22, June 17, 2008

• Flooding closes Indiana hospital

  The flooding in Indiana has devastated Columbus (IN) Regional Hospital, which was forced to close...

Issue 21, June 3, 2008

• Indiana runs state wide tornado siren tests

  A new law put into effect this year calls for Indiana’s 92 counties to test and report all...

Issue 45, November 25, 2008

• Boston attempts to track flu vaccinations

  Beginning last week, Boston became one of the first cities in the country to implement a system...

Issue 6, February 12, 2008

• Yes, mold management is a lab safety issue

  Wherever moisture and oxygen are present there is a chance that mold can grow.