Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:10:31.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Building Health Care System Capacity to Respond to Disasters: Successes and Challenges of Disaster Preparedness Health Care Coalitions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2015

Lauren Walsh*
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MarylandUSA
Hillary Craddock
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MarylandUSA
Kelly Gulley
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MarylandUSA
Kandra Strauss-Riggs
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MarylandUSA
Kenneth W. Schor
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MarylandUSA
*
Correspondence: Lauren Walsh, MPH National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health 11300 Rockville Pike Suite 1000 Rockville, Maryland 20910 USA E-mail [email protected]

Abstract

Introduction

This research aimed to learn from the experiences of leaders of well-developed, disaster preparedness-focused health care coalitions (HCCs), both the challenges and the successes, for the purposes of identifying common areas for improvement and sharing “promising practices.”

Hypothesis/Problem

Little data have been collected regarding the successes and challenges of disaster preparedness-focused HCCs in augmenting health care system preparedness for disasters.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of nine HCC leaders. Transcripts were analyzed qualitatively.

Results

The commonly noted benefits of HCCs were: community-wide and regional partnership building, providing an impartial forum for capacity building, sharing of education and training opportunities, staff- and resource-sharing, incentivizing the participation of clinical partners in preparedness activities, better communication with the public, and the ability to surge. Frequently noted challenges included: stakeholder engagement, staffing, funding, rural needs, cross-border partnerships, education and training, and grant requirements. Promising practices addressed: stakeholder engagement, communicating value and purpose, simplifying processes, formalizing connections, and incentivizing participation.

Conclusions

Strengthening HCCs and their underlying systems could lead to improved national resilience to disasters. However, despite many successes, coalition leaders are faced with obstacles that may preclude optimal system functioning. Additional research could: provide further insight regarding the benefit of HCCs to local communities, uncover obstacles that prohibit local disaster-response capacity building, and identify opportunities for an improved system capacity to respond to, and recover from, disasters.

WalshL, CraddockH, GulleyK, Strauss-RiggsK, SchorKW. Building Health Care System Capacity to Respond to Disasters: Successes and Challenges of Disaster Preparedness Health Care Coalitions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(2):1-10.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Courtney, B, Toner, E, Waldhorn, R, et al. Health care coalitions: the new foundation for national health care preparedness and response for catastrophic health emergencies. Biosecur Bioterror. 2009;7(2):153-163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Carrier, E, Yee, T, Cross, D, Samuel, D. Emergency preparedness and community coalitions: opportunities and challenges. Res Brief. 2012;(24):1-9.Google Scholar
3. Hick, JL, Hanfling, D, Burstein, JL, et al. Health care facility and community strategies for patient care surge capacity. Ann Emerg Med. 2004;44(3):253-261.Google Scholar
4. The White House. The President's Climate Action Plan; June 2013. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf. Accessed May 16, 2014.Google Scholar
5. Rambhia, KJ, Waldhorn, RE, Selck, F, Mehta, AK, Franco, C, Toner, ES. A survey of hospitals to determine the prevalence and characteristics of health care coalitions for emergency preparedness and response. Biosecur Bioterror. 2012;10(3):1-10.Google Scholar
6. What is a Health Care Coalition? Employers Health Web site. http://www.ehpco.com/what_is_EHCO.html. Accessed July 10, 2014.Google Scholar
7. National Health Care Coalition Resource Center Web site. http://healthcarecoalitions.org/. Accessed July 10, 2014.Google Scholar
8. Pines, JM, Pilkington, WF, Seabury, S. Improving emergency preparedness financing by building on health systems capacity and sustainable alternative methods. White paper for the forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events. National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine. Washington DC, USA. October 2013.Google Scholar
9. Hanfling, D. Role of regional health care coalitions in managing and coordinating disaster response. White paper for the workshop on National Response to an Improvised Nuclear Attack. National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine. Washington DC, USA. January 2013.Google Scholar
10. Toner, E, Waldhorn, R, Franco, C, et al. Hospitals rising to the challenge: the first five years of the US Hospital Preparedness Program and priorities going forward. Prepared by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC for the US Department of Health and Human Services under Contract No. HHSO100200700038C. Washington DC, USA. 2009.Google Scholar
11. Lathan, DM. Helping coalitions work better: attributes of effective coalitions. Presented at the 2nd meeting of the National Health Care Coalition Preparedness Conference. New Orleans, Louisiana USA. December 2013.Google Scholar
12. Walsh, L, Craddock, H, Strauss-Riggs, K, Schor, KW, Gulley, K. Building health care system capacity: training health care professionals in disaster-preparedness health care coalitions. Prehosp Disaster Med. In press.Google Scholar
13. “Paperwork Reduction Act.” US Code 1980 Ed. Title 44, Sec. 35, 3501-3521.Google Scholar
14. Miles, MB, Huberman, AM. Qualitative Data Analysis. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, California USA: Sage Publications; 1994.Google Scholar
15. Phillips, BD. Qualitative Disaster Research: Understanding Qualitative Research. New York, New York USA: Oxford University Press; 2013.Google Scholar
16. Knafl, KA, Howard, MJ. Interpreting and reporting qualitative research. Res Nurs Health. 1984;7:17-24.Google Scholar
17. US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. From Hospitals to Health Care Coalitions: Transforming Health Preparedness and Response in Our Communities. Washington DC, USA. 2009.Google Scholar
18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospital Preparedness Program and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreements. CDC-RFA-TP12-1201. Atlanta, Georgia USA. 2011.Google Scholar
19. US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. FY11 Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Guidance. Washington DC, USA. 2011.Google Scholar
20. Toner, E, Adalja, AA. “Preparing hospitals for large-scale infectious disease emergencies.” In: Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. A Crossroads to Biosecurity: Steps to Strengthen US Preparedness. Baltimore, Maryland USA. 2011:29-31.Google Scholar
21. Ginter, PM, Rucks, AC, Duncan, WJ, et al. Southeastern regional pediatric disaster surge network: a public health partnership. Public Health Rep. 2010;125(suppl 5):117-126.Google Scholar
22. Barbera, JA, Yeatts, DJ, Macintyre, AG. Challenge of hospital emergency preparedness: analysis and recommendations. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(suppl 1):S74-S82.Google Scholar
23. Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare and Medicaid programs; emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare and Medicaid participating providers and suppliers: proposed rule. Federal Register. December 27, 2013.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Walsh supplementary material

Appendix

Download Walsh supplementary material(File)
File 44.3 KB