The Acute Care Hospital Emergency Surge Project

(ACHES)

Jane RichterACHES Project Coordinator

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Emergency System for Advance Registration of

Volunteer Health Professionals and the

Medical Reserve Corps

Deborah S. Derrick ESAR-VHP/MRC Coordinator Office of Public Health Preparedness (803) 898-4472 derricds@dhec.sc.gov

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ESAR-VHP ProgramESAR-VHP ProgramA national program to facilitate

professionals volunteering during emergencies

An interoperable network of systems across the U.S. and maintained by the states to verify credentials BEFORE volunteers are needed!

States must build their systems to a single set of Emergency Credentialing Standards and definitions so that volunteers can be shared and utilized across state lines.

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GOAL OF ESAR-VHP PROGRAM

Resolve in advance significant problems encountered when utilizing the services of volunteers in complex emergency response situation.

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South Carolina Emergency South Carolina Emergency Registry of Volunteers Registry of Volunteers

(SCSERV)(SCSERV)

•ESAR-VHP database established

•Now how do we organize the volunteers?

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Medical Reserve Corps Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)(MRC)

MRC mission is to engage volunteers in order to strengthen public health & medical response and community resiliency.

Each MRC is designed to meet local community’s needs.

MRC units undergo training, participate in exercises, and help educate the local community.

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SC Medical Reserve CorpsSC Medical Reserve Corps

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So we’ve got it going for So we’ve got it going for public health, now what public health, now what about hospitals?about hospitals?

Grant written and funded in spring 2010.

Gave rise to the Acute Care Hospital Emergency Surge Project.

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ACHES ProjectACHES ProjectI. Goal

Expand SC ESAR-VHP Program to facilitate acute care hospitals’ ability to utilize volunteers to increase hospital surge capacity

II. ObjectivesIdentify and address surge capacity needs of:1) acute care hospitals2) individual volunteers3) ESAR-VHP database system (i.e., SCSERV)

III. Outcome

Registered volunteers verified, credentialed, & prepared to augment hospital surge capacity! 9

ACHES Progress to DateACHES Progress to DateYear 1: we planned!Year 2: we divided and conquered in

order to problem-solve!◦Training Workgroup (to prepare volunteers)◦SCSERV Workgroup (to prepare database to

accept volunteers willing to support hospitals)◦Volunteer Protections Workgroup (to prepare

hospitals to mobilize & use volunteers)Year 3: we will continue to problem solve

and we will test our plans and processes.

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Training Workgroup Training Workgroup (to prepare volunteers)(to prepare volunteers)

With representation from hospitals, SC Hospital Association and DHEC, developed a training matrix.

Identified trainings online that are reputable and current

Made as few trainings “REQUIRED” as necessary to align with public health training requirements.

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Levels of VolunteersLevels of VolunteersLevel 1: actively employed in a hospital

or has hospital privilegesLevel 2: clinically active in any setting

other than a hospital Level 3: meets basic qualifications

necessary to practice in the stateLevel 4: healthcare

experience/education in an area useful in providing basic healthcare not controlled by scope of practice laws

Level 5: passes the Inspector General check (this is a DHEC-generated level) 12

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SCSERV WorkgroupSCSERV Workgroup(to prepared website & database (to prepared website & database to accept “hospital” volunteers)to accept “hospital” volunteers)

Added hospital photos to collage on opening page of website

Changed verbiage to include willingness to volunteer in support of hospitals and other healthcare entities, in addition to public health.

Added information to Frequently Asked Questions sidebar differentiating legal protections available when volunteering for public health versus those provided (or not) by hospitals

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SCSERV WorkgroupSCSERV WorkgroupAdded the following occupations to the

SCSERV database:

Biomedical Engineer Certified Nursing AssistantEmergency Management staff Environmental Services staffFacility Management staff Infection Control staffLanguage Interpreters Material Management staffOccupational Therapist Physical TherapistPlant Operations staff Safety staffSecurity staff Speech Therapist

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Volunteer Protections Volunteer Protections WorkgroupWorkgroup

We operated with the assumption that there are 3 major concerns of individuals when volunteering:1. If I am injured, who’ll take care of

me? Who will pay for treatment?2. If I am sued, whose personal liability

policy will cover me?3. If I am unable to work, who will cover

my lost wages?

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This Has Been Worked Out This Has Been Worked Out forfor

A DHEC VolunteerA DHEC VolunteerThe volunteer must sign a volunteer

agreement that specifies that liability coverage will be provided while acting exclusively on behalf of DHEC and within the scope of practice as a volunteer

No Workers’ Compensation providedNo mention of treatment for injury

or sickness

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If A Hospital Deploys a If A Hospital Deploys a VolunteerVolunteerMay or may not provide

treatment for injury or sicknessMay or may not provide

professional liability coverageProbably won’t provide

reimbursement for lost wages

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Volunteers Need to Be Volunteers Need to Be Aware!Aware!

Check with your health insurer and other appropriate insurer carriers to determine if they will cover you should you volunteer to assist during an emergency response.

Check with your personal professional liability insurance carrier to determine if they will cover you should you volunteer to assist during an emergency response.

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Ask Questions, Demand Ask Questions, Demand AnswersAnswers

The initial contact from the hospital, clinic, etc. , offering you (begging you???) the opportunity to volunteer will be the time for you to ask questions as to whether or not any legal protections will be provided.

Make an informed decision based on knowledge of risks and benefits.

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ACHES Year 3 TasksACHES Year 3 TasksConvene a workgroup comprised of:

◦Hospital Human Resources staff◦Hospital Risk Managers◦Hospital Emergency Managers◦SC Hospital Association staff◦SC DHEC staffto design an educational campaign

directed at hospitals so the leadership determines what coverage/protections they will provide to volunteers before an event happens.

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ACHES Year 3 TasksACHES Year 3 TasksRecruit volunteers interested in

providing support for hospitalsWork with an urban hospital & a rural

hospital to exercise:◦Calling DHEC and requesting volunteers◦Obtaining the listing from DHEC and

calling volunteers in to provide hospital support

◦Badging, credentialing and privileging (as appropriate) the volunteers

◦Assigning volunteers to roles24

ACHES Year 3 TasksACHES Year 3 Tasks

Based on the After Actions Reports of the hospital exercises, revise:◦The training matrix◦The SCSERV website/database◦The educational information provided

to hospitals about: the process of working with DHEC to access

a listing of volunteers, and the need to determine beforehand what

legal protections will be provided for volunteers serving on their behalf during emergencies.

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Please Consider!Please Consider!Volunteering to assist with Year 3

tasks. You can help by:◦Assisting with the development of the

educational campaign and materials◦Allowing us to piggyback on your

hospital’s exercise to test the processes developed to seamlessly integrate SCSERV volunteers into an emergency response

◦Recruiting volunteers to register in SCSERV to support hospitals

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Jane RichterJane RichterUSC Center for Public Health USC Center for Public Health PreparednessPreparedness1233 Washington Street, Suite 7001233 Washington Street, Suite 700Columbia, SC 29201Columbia, SC 29201803.606.1391803.606.1391jane.richter@sc.edujane.richter@sc.edu

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Questions?Questions?

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