Safety net hospitals and health systems are the essential foundation of the nations emergency health system. This magazine showcases NAPH members across the nation who stand ready when disaster strikes.

Summer 2007

NAPH's comprehensive emergency preparedness (EP) research study to, conducted in 2006-2007, sought to: (1) determine the role of public hospitals during an emergency, and (2) identify emergency related concerns and activities at member hospitals. The study covered a broad range of topics—from communications systems to worried-well management, and is the most comprehensive work to date on safety net hospital preparedness. This monograph presents the full set of findings from this study.

Most public hospital facilities assign disaster preparedness functions to existing staff, who take on this role in addition to their other responsibilities. However, to stay atop the ever-growing demand for disaster readiness activities, a new trend is emerging in public hospitals: the creation of a full-time, dedicated staff position with the sole responsibility of coordinating, integrating, and assessing preparedness activities for the hospital. To gain insight into this emerging trend, NPHHI conducted a telephone survey of dedicated disaster planners at NAPH facilities. This Research Brief presents findings from that survey.

Presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, June 2008. This poster examines differences in planning strategies between public hospitals that do and do not have a designated EP coordinator. It also identifies characteristics that predict whether a safety net hospital will have a dedicated EP coordinator staff position.

Presented at the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) Public Health Preparedness Summit, February 2008. This poster presents data that assesses the value of having an EP coordinator as part of hospitals' full-time staff and describes the challenges hospitals face when creating a full-time coordinator position.

Recent disasters like the Northeast Blackout of 2003 and Hurricane Katrina have given NAPH members firsthand experience activating complex surge capacity plans. This Research Brief describes key findings from NAPH's 2007-2008 emergency preparedness study, particularly focusing upon NAPH members' structural surge capacity plans, provisions for staff and their families, identifying and credentialing additional health care professionals, and emergency preparedness training strategies for hospital personnel.

Presented at the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) Public Health Preparedness Summit, February 2008. This poster presents public hospitals' surge capacity plans and innovative techniques employed by NAPH member hospitals to ensure adequate staff coverage during emergencies.