Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Section 3: Healthcare Planning and Emergency Response
infection control methods. Education of the family may serve to reduce incidence of
illness and/or absenteeism.
Identification of sources of back-up personnel is of paramount importance given the
likelihood of increased demands on the system posed by the pandemic, coupled with
concurrent reduction in the work force due to illness, absenteeism, and exhaustion.
Healthcare facilities should take the following steps to attempt to address projected
staffing shortages:
• Assign responsibility for the assessment and coordination of staffing during an
emergency and ensure call-down lists (phone tree) are updated and procedures
are current.
• Estimate the minimum number and categories of personnel needed to care for
a cohort of influenza patients per day/shift and use to project staffing needs;
• Develop strategies to enhance staffing to required levels including:
o reassign non-clinical staff to clinical and clinical support functions;
o cross-train staff;
o work with LHD, local OEM and other health facilities and community
partners to recruit volunteers;
o utilize healthcare students (e.g., medical and nursing students) and
family members of patients where feasible; and
o develop Mutual Aid Agreements or Memoranda of
Understanding/Agreement with other healthcare facilities.
• Understand the credentialing requirements and insurance and liability
concerns related to using non-facility staff.
• Hospitals should work with their local OEM and LHDs on recruitment,
training and credentialing of volunteers to support surge staffing (see part
V.B: Other Considerations, Volunteers).
3. Bed capacity
The following actions should also be taken:
• Review and revise admissions and discharge criteria for times when bed
capacity is critically short.
• Work with home healthcare agencies to arrange at-home follow-up care for
patients who have been discharged early and for those whose admission was
deferred because of limited bed space.
• Hospitals in a region should plan and work together to provide support and
back-up and to transfer patients when either capacity or capability of a facility
is exceeded.
• Review and refine the criteria hospitals currently use for temporarily
canceling elective surgical procedures during surge periods. Plans should also
be made for determining what and where emergency procedures will be
performed during a pandemic.
• HERDS will be used to track bed availability and need; therefore, hospitals
must:
o ensure that an adequate number of staff on all shifts are assigned
HERDS roles and are trained.
February 7, 2006 3-11