Home > Improving Quality & Safety > Tools & Services > Safety Institute > Safety topics A to Z

Resources

Incident Command Systems
Federal government agencies
Public health
Local public health
Environmental
Emergency management
Crisis management
Department of Defense
Professional sources

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
AHRQ Disaster Response Tools and Resources - the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a number of tools and resources that can be used during emergency events and natural disasters to assist in response and recovery efforts.

AHRQ – Emergency evacuation planning model available online
An online tool from AHRQ is designed to help emergency planners estimate the time needed to evacuate healthcare facilities in a disaster area. The tool is available at www.ahrq.gov/prep/massevac. The "Mass Evacuation Transportation Planning Model" helps facilities look at the transportation requirements of different types of patients, the numbers of available ambulances, wheelchair vans, and buses, the location of evacuating and receiving facilities, and the surge capacity of receiving facilities. The model is available at http://massevacmodel.ahrq.gov. A user manual is also available
AHRQ Tool- Evaluate disaster drills
Hospitals can now identify the most important strengths and weaknesses in their disaster response plans using a new tool from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The new evidence-based tool is an abridged version of a more comprehensive evidence report developed by AHRQ's Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center in Baltimore. The new version singles out only the most critical elements that all hospitals should evaluate during disaster drills. Single, free copies can be ordered by sending an E-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-358-9295. Download the Drill Elements
Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) Public health preparedness - Conference and meeting archive
This is a link to archived audio from past AHRQ conferences and meetings, including topics such as Providing Mass Medical Care with Scarce Resources; Hospital Surge Capacity; and Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness. This webpage also contains a wealth of other resources from AHRQ regarding public health preparedness.
http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/#audio

CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response
This site is intended to increase the nation's ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

Public Health Preparedness: "2011 State-by-State Update on Laboratory Capabilities and Response Readiness Planning" (9-20-11) is the fourth major preparedness assessment from the CDC and the third to report state-by-state performance. State and local public health laboratories have improved their ability to identify and report infectious disease and chemical threats. Health departments are making steady progress in readiness planning, such as deploying medicines and other supplies.
CDC - Public Health Preparedness
CDC - Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response
This planning document was released as a major resource in assessing public health preparedness capabilities. Individual facilities will also find this document a useful resource for issues such as material management planning and medical surge capacity.
CDC - Public Health Preparedness Capabilities:
National Standards for State and Local Planning March 2011
CDC - MedCon:Pre-Event
A Tool to Estimate the Pre-Event Population at Risk of Medical Consequences in a Disaster
CDC - Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program
CDC's Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Network provides information about chemical and biological agents, press releases, training resources, contact information, and other important information on the public health aspects of bioterrorism preparedness and response.

CMS Resources - Checklists

Health and Human Services 2003 Fact Sheet
A new fact sheet " Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Transforming America's Capacity to Respond" describes extensive activities of the last two years in expanding preparedness for a possible bioterrorism incident, especially the ongoing efforts to improve emergency medical response capacity at the federal, state and local levels.

2011 HHS report on hospital preparedness measures in 2009
More than three-quarters of hospitals participating in the National Hospital Preparedness Program met 90% or more of all program measures for all-hazards preparedness in 2009, according to a, state-by-state report released yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. "From Hospitals to Healthcare Coalitions: Transforming Health Preparedness and Response in Our Communities" identifies advances states have made in preparing hospitals for all types of disasters and discusses the next steps the HPP will take to boost community resilience.

HHS - National health security strategy; Implementation guide
On January 7, 2010, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius released a National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) and implementation guide (NHSS-IG) for protecting public health in a large-scale emergency. Required by the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006, the NHSS sets priorities for government and non-government activities over the next four years, while the guide sets forth initial implementation activities. One of the 10 strategic objectives listed in the HHS press release is to foster integrated, scalable health care delivery systems.

The Office Veteran’s Affairs
The VA Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards has published a rapid contingency plan for responding to victims of a chemical attack. This very practical document includes management suggestions for handling casualties and decontamination.

National Disaster Medical System
A cooperative asset-sharing program among federal government agencies, state and local governments, and private businesses and civilian volunteers, designed to ensure that resources are available to provide medical services following a disaster that overwhelms local healthcare resources. This Web site provides detailed information on the system’s role and resources. The Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for managing and coordinating federal health, medical, and health-related social services and recovery assistance in major emergencies and federally declared disasters, including:

Natural disasters
Technological disasters
Major transportation accidents
Terrorism

Recent Outbreaks and Incidents
This site provides resources and injury management during recent disasters such as bridge collapse and wildfires. Links on this site provide important information for the public and health professionals about injuries, mass casualty events, and coping with a traumatic event.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/recentincidents.asp

Texas Department of Health - Bioterrorism Preparedness
An example of a state health department preparedness plan

Local Public Health

National Association of County and City Health Officials

This Web site offers a series of helpful documents pertaining to local public health agencies:

Elements of Effective Bioterrorism Preparedness - A planning primer for local public health agencies.

Bioterrorism and Emergency Response Program - As part of a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NACCHO is actively engaged in several programs in collaboration with local, state, and federal partners to improve local health agencies' capacity to respond to bioterrorism and other communicable disease and environmental health threats.

Centers for Public Health Preparedness Year One Report - The Centers for Public Health Preparedness project was developed to create models for implementing information technology and training in support of bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response.

National Criteria for Evacuation Decision-making in Nursing Homes (pdf)
This national guide for evacuation decision-making in nursing homes is one of several tools developed through a two-year grant funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation to the Florida Health Care Association Education and Development Foundation. The project’s overall goal is to ensure the safety and quality of care of frail elders living in nursing homes during a natural disaster.

Community & Family Preparedness Network
This information resource was developed in cooperation with the FEMA Community and Family Preparedness Program.

Environmental

US Army Core of Engineers - Protecting Buildings and Their Occupants from Airborne Hazards
This draft document released for unlimited distribution presents ways to protect building occupants from airborne hazards including ways to prevent, protect against, and reduce the effects of outdoor and indoor releases of hazardous materials. It contains guidance for building managers, designers, and security planners on how to minimize the potential effects of hazardous materials released in accidents, malicious acts, or natural phenomena.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disaster Registry
This site offers a 10-step procedure for analyzing, mitigating, and preventing public health hazards resulting from terrorism involving industrial chemicals.

Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA’s Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office is supporting the federal counter-terrorism program by: (1) helping state and local responders plan for emergencies; (2) coordinating with key federal partners; (3) training first responders; and (4) providing resources in the event of a terrorist incident.

Emergency Management

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Provides descriptions and links to federal chemical and biological resources.

The Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER)
This consortium has released a model memorandum of understanding for consideration by hospitals that may benefit from sharing resources to meet patient surges during declared emergencies and disasters. PACER is consortium of colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Center for Law and the Public’s Health, and is a Homeland Security Center of Excellence.

Memorandum of understanding PACER

Compliance with TJC Emergency Management Standards;
Lessons learned from the front line on 9/11
Presentation, audiofile, and checklists can be downloaded from a Premier Advisor Live presentation April, 2009 Speakers included Mark Ackermann. Former Chief Administrative Office, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers, New York, NY; Jim Rush. CEO, JVR Health Readiness Inc.; and Steve Spaanbroek. Director, Premier Consulting Services

https://premierinc.com/about/events-education/advisorlive/archive.jsp#4_8_09

Crisis Management

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Lead agency for preventing acts of terrorism in the United States. The FBI Web site has news on major investigations underway as well as reports on terrorism.

FBI Awareness of National Security Issues and Response Program
The FBI’s "public voice" on espionage, cyber and physical infrastructure protection, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, economic espionage, cyber and physical infrastructure protection, and all national security issues.

National Domestic Preparedness Office
A clearinghouse for state, local and federal information and assistance regarding weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Department of Defense

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
Conducts research to develop strategies, products, information, procedures, and training programs for medical defense against biological warfare threats and naturally occurring infectious diseases that require special containment.

Professional sources

American Academy of Family Practice
The AAFP provides numerous clinical resources focused on bioterrorism for medical practitioners.

American College of Physician-American Society of Internal Medicine
The ACP-ASIM provides a wealth of clinical resources on a site dedicated to bioterrorism resources. www.ACPonline.org/bioterro

American Medical Association
The AMA has developed a special Web site devoted to bioterrorism and clinical resources http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/6667.html. An important recent addition is a free online training course for CME. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7537.html

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
This special Emergency Preparedness–Counterterrorism Resource is intended to provide pharmacists practicing in the various settings of health systems with information and guidance on the nation’s public and private preparedness and response activities. The site includes for example, access to a monograph on smallpox vaccine.

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
A multi-disciplinary international organization that has taken a leadership role in bioterrorism preparedness. The resource section of this site offers several free resources on bioterrorism, including fact sheets on biological agents in multiple languages.

Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections,
Saint Louis University School of Public Health
Provides public health organizations and healthcare facilities with the tools for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation of intentional or naturally occurring outbreaks.

Infectious Diseases Society of America
This bioterrorism section of the website is a collaboration between IDSA and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pharmacia. The many resources include slide sets and teaching tools for infectious disease specialist.

Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies
Fosters the development of national and international medical and public health policies and structures to protect the civilian population from bioterrorism. The center's principal focus is on those bioweapons that have the potential to cause catastrophic, potentially destabilizing epidemics. Web site includes a description and analysis of the bioterrorism exercise known as "Dark Winter" carried out in June 2001.

University of Alabama and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Center for Disaster Preparedness
The AHRQ has partnered with the University of Alabama in providing a free online series of educational courses on bioterrorism for healthcare professionals.

University of Louisville School of Medicine
The University of Louisville also provides an educational series on bioterrorism available for CME. Registration information is provided on the site.