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Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

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Section 3: Healthcare <strong>Plan</strong>ning and Emergency Response<br />

<strong>III</strong>.<br />

Hospital <strong>Plan</strong>ning during the Interpandemic and <strong>Pandemic</strong> Alert<br />

Periods<br />

Each hospital must develop a plan for response to an influenza pandemic. This plan<br />

should be developed by an interdisciplinary team and should be an outgrowth of the<br />

facility’s biological response component of its Comprehensive Emergency Management<br />

<strong>Plan</strong>. It should draw heavily from the facility’s plan to address smallpox and other<br />

communicable diseases.<br />

A. Communications<br />

A well-conceived internal and external communication plan is extremely<br />

important during a pandemic. The infrastructure for communication should follow the<br />

Incident Command System.<br />

External Communications<br />

To ensure effective external communication, hospitals must:<br />

• Identify key points of contact in their LHD, the NYSDOH Regional Office,<br />

the local Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the local media, public<br />

officials, other healthcare facilities and community partners to facilitate<br />

information sharing during a pandemic. Redundant means of communication<br />

(e.g., telephone, FAX, radio, electronic mail, cell phone) should be established<br />

with these partners.<br />

• Ensure that key staff has active Health Provider Network accounts and an<br />

appropriate number of staff on all shifts are assigned to HERDS roles.<br />

• Understand what information will be collected via HERDS and establish<br />

mechanisms to collect it.<br />

• Ensure that information in the Communications Directory is complete and<br />

kept current.<br />

• Assign a Public Information Officer (PIO), clinical spokesperson and a person<br />

responsible for updating the LHD and NYSDOH regarding public health<br />

reporting.<br />

• Work with LHDs and the NYSDOH regarding expectations/protocols for<br />

communication with media and public.<br />

• Understand expectations for communications with NYSDOH and local<br />

incident command structure.<br />

Internal Communications<br />

• Develop and drill a staff call-down (phone tree) list.<br />

• Develop and drill an internal ICS to ensure effective communication to all<br />

levels of staff.<br />

• Develop procedures to keep patients and visitors informed of the status/impact<br />

of the pandemic.<br />

February 7, 2006 3-5

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