The frequency of weather-related natural disasters coupled with the tragedy of multiple mass shootings in recent months are making hospital disaster preparedness more important than ever.
In addition to treating existing patients and preparing to receive sick and injured patients, hospitals often become a place of safe harbor and must accommodate sudden influxes of people―some of whom may not even be patients. Establishing order, keeping track of patients, and reporting patient numbers, status and location to authorities can be a monumental task, but advance planning and having the right operational systems in place will aid in maintaining organization in the mist of chaotic conditions.
Below is a list of planning recommendations, offered by TeleTracking patient flow experts Dr. Scott Newton, DNP, RN, MHA, EMT-P & Joy Avery, RN, MSN.
TeleTracking clients are encouraged to call Technical Support at 1-877-570-6903 for assistance with general questions around how to adjust console configurations, portal view customizations, disaster attributes, etc.
Joy Avery began her nursing career in 1986 and has had the opportunity to deliver patient care in a wide range of roles over the years—from Director of Specialized Clinical Services responsible transfer centers, patient flow activities, bariatric services and nursing leadership programs, to Chief Flight Nurse and Trauma Program Manager.
As the Vice President of Clinical Strategy at TeleTracking, Joy uses her clinical expertise to facilitate rapid patient access solutions at health systems across the country. Having been involved in the implementation of 100 command centers, Joy can speak extensively about the power of a robust transfer/referral center and how when operations are centralized across an enterprise system, admission requests from other hospitals and local physicians can be coordinated.
Dr. Scott Newton has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare—working as an EMT, a nurse, an educator and a patient flow command center leader—he is also a trusted adviser and thought leader.
Scott has deep knowledge of the healthcare system and understands that success is tied to high reliability, just-in-time responses, and responsible solutions—that it’s about getting it right the first time for patients and clinicians.
A graduate of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Scott built a Command Center as an output of his doctoral project and believes that as healthcare continues to evolve, patient flow will play an even more prominent role across the care continuum.
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