Emergency Preparedness Blog

If you have been following the news and the data trends that we are seeing in Pennsylvania, influenza A is surging in ways that we have not seen during the last seven years. Five weeks ago, we saw the numbers go down temporarily, but since then they have marched forward with increases in a growing, stepwise pattern.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize various sectors, with recent developments highlighting both its transformative potential and the emerging challenges it presents. In this space, disruption happens quickly, so we all must pay attention.

A big part of emergency preparedness is getting ready for incidents that you hope you never see.

The tragic vehicle attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day is a stark reminder that our communities and our facilities are vulnerable to similar incidents—whether they’re intentional or unintentional. 
 

We are turning the page on another busy year in health care emergency management and preparing for all that lies ahead in the New Year.

As we close out 2024, let’s take some time to look back and understand what has occurred in the world of health care emergency management. Here are some notable events and trends in from the state and national level:

Another year is just about in the books, and it has been another memorable year for weather. The year has left an indelible mark in terms of severe weather across the United States. From catastrophic hurricanes to widespread wildfires and record-breaking heatwaves, this year underscored the growing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

As emergency managers, some may think that we are pessimistic about what could be coming down the pike. Perhaps a better way to think about it is our reliance on a forward-leaning posture to be ready to meet the emergency when it occurs.

Preparing for severe winter weather is exactly like preparing for a hurricane. Well, kind of.  A recent article in Becker’s Hospital Review highlighted how some facilities prepared for, managed, and successfully navigated Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

But even if you do not live in a region affected by hurricanes, I’m here to tell you that you should pay attention to the emergency response from these incidents.

Sometimes the role of an emergency manager can encompass making sure the boxes are checked from a regulatory standpoint—and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At times, those tasks we are required to mark off the checklist help us to accomplish our broader goal to ensure we are as protected and prepared as possible.

Hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) is one of those big-ticket items. HVA guides our emergency exercise development and planning and leads us to complete our after-action reports (AAR).

A few years back, I wrote a blog discussing the uncertainty and instability within the supply chain. With today’s current events and the impact of Hurricane Helene, the supply chain is again a top priority.

Emergency management is always evolving, especially when it comes to preparedness, response, and recovery for a complex health care landscape like Pennsylvania’s.

As we worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, most facilities were short on needed supplies to combat the growing threat. As a result, universally, different standards of care were enacted to combat the problem. However, when supply shortages affect only a portion of health care facilities, we don’t routinely see those sweeping changes to standards of care that assist with our daily operations.

Water can hydrate, nourish, clean, and soothe us. When boiled, it can cook our food. As ice, it cools our drinks. It’s essential to sanitize, sterilize, and disinfect. It can erode a shoreline, or it can be used to power an electrical grid. But, too much or not enough water can lead to headaches in health care.