President & CEO
Missouri Hospital Association
The images from Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and subsequent reactor disaster have prompted many Missourians to ask “Are we ready?” It is a fair question.
Readiness is a journey, not a destination. However, Missouri’s hospitals are significantly better prepared than they were a decade ago. Since 2002, hospitals have benefitted from federal funds through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to expand our readiness efforts. The value of this funding has been further enhanced through our coordination with local, regional and statewide partners, including the state’s emergency response organizations.
Through the program, hospitals have been supplied with disaster-specific equipment to augment their capacity to respond. They also can benefit from deployable regional supply and equipment caches. In addition, we’ve significantly enhanced hospitals’ communications capacity and interoperability so that they can talk to each other and other emergency management organizations more efficiently. This winter’s paralyzing snowstorms provided an opportunity to test our improved communication systems — with great success.
Knowing how to use the tools is vital. Between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, hospitals will have held more than 350 hospital-specific readiness exercises. In May, numerous Missouri hospitals will participate in a national level exercise organized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense that simulates response to an earthquake along the New Madrid fault line. The May NLE will take hospitals’ planning to the next level.
Despite the gut-wrenching scenes from Japan, severe weather — such as a tornado or an ice storm — is the most prevalent threat here in Missouri. However, to prepare for any contingency, hospital planning embraces an “all hazards” approach. Since January 2000, 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations have been issued for Missouri. We know it isn’t a question of “if” but rather “when.” It’s our goal to be prepared and ready to serve our patients and communities 24/7.
MHA’s report, “Missouri Hospitals’ Emergency Preparedness: Accomplishments and Next Steps” is available at www.mhanet.com.
Readiness is a journey, not a destination. However, Missouri’s hospitals are significantly better prepared than they were a decade ago. Since 2002, hospitals have benefitted from federal funds through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to expand our readiness efforts. The value of this funding has been further enhanced through our coordination with local, regional and statewide partners, including the state’s emergency response organizations.
Through the program, hospitals have been supplied with disaster-specific equipment to augment their capacity to respond. They also can benefit from deployable regional supply and equipment caches. In addition, we’ve significantly enhanced hospitals’ communications capacity and interoperability so that they can talk to each other and other emergency management organizations more efficiently. This winter’s paralyzing snowstorms provided an opportunity to test our improved communication systems — with great success.
Knowing how to use the tools is vital. Between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, hospitals will have held more than 350 hospital-specific readiness exercises. In May, numerous Missouri hospitals will participate in a national level exercise organized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense that simulates response to an earthquake along the New Madrid fault line. The May NLE will take hospitals’ planning to the next level.
Despite the gut-wrenching scenes from Japan, severe weather — such as a tornado or an ice storm — is the most prevalent threat here in Missouri. However, to prepare for any contingency, hospital planning embraces an “all hazards” approach. Since January 2000, 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations have been issued for Missouri. We know it isn’t a question of “if” but rather “when.” It’s our goal to be prepared and ready to serve our patients and communities 24/7.
MHA’s report, “Missouri Hospitals’ Emergency Preparedness: Accomplishments and Next Steps” is available at www.mhanet.com.
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