On Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 the Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition held their Second Annual Partner’s Training Summit. The University Center at the University of North Florida was host to 150 attendees from around the region.
The morning session started with presentations from Carlito Rayos (North Las Vegas Emergency Management) and Hilary Mauch (Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas) regarding their experiences and lessons learned from the Route 91 Harvest Festival tragedy in Las Vegas on October 1st, 2017. This mass casualty incident took the lives of 58 people, and an additional 851 people were injured. The presentations were followed by a facilitated discussion lead by John Wilgis (Florida Hospital Association).
Lunch was served after the morning session. Attendees had the opportunity to eat and listen to presentations by Commander Aaron Otis (Florida Department of Health) and Beth Payne (Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition Coordinator). Commander Otis discussed his view of how local Healthcare Coalitions can operate and implement State and Federal requirements. Beth Payne delivered an overview of Coalition programs and initiatives.
Finally, the afternoon session concluded with three separate training classes including Crisis Leadership & Decision Making (MGT-340), Active Threats in Healthcare and a CMS Provider & Supplier Tabletop Exercise.
- Crisis Leadership and Decision Making (MGT-340) was conducted by our friends from Texas A&M Engineering and Extension Service (TEEX). Participants were guided through the healthcare crisis brought on by the SARS Outbreak in Toronto, Canada.
- Active Threats in Healthcare was led by Jamey Moore from Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. This course addressed planning and training considerations for active threats in the healthcare setting.
- The CMS Exercise was developed by EREC, Inc. who developed scenarios to test healthcare facility emergency plans. Attendees from multiple healthcare disciplines participated with other community partners in the exercise.
With nearly 200 attendees this training summit was a valuable learning opportunity for Coalition members and partners. For more information, please contact Eric Anderson, eanderson@nefrc.org.
On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, the Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition held training to kick-off a Stop the Bleed initiative. Congressman John Rutherford attended the training to show support and raise awareness of the program. When addressing the group, he stated, “This training is so vitally important, what you are doing is going to save lives, there is absolutely no doubt about it.”
The Coalition purchased bleeding control kits for public schools in North Florida in an effort to provide the tools necessary to save a life when one suffers a traumatic bleeding event. Rutherford noted the importance of a bystander’s actions in response to a traumatic incident. “The immediate – not the First Responder – but the immediate care is provided by those around you. And if they are outfitted with a Stop The Bleed kit, your chances of survival have just gone up significantly,” stated Rutherford.
The Coalition is partnering with county school districts, county EMS, and local trauma centers to provide training for staff as the kits are placed in the schools. The Coalition has a video that provides more information on their Stop the Bleed Program.
On August 23, 2017, the Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition (NEFLHCC) held their First Annual Healthcare Partners Training Summit. The event was held at the University of North Florida and included six training sessions and 120 attendees. The day started with a welcome from the Chair of NEFLHCC, Rich Ward. He presented the immediate past chair, Leigh Wilsey, with an award for her dedication and service to the Coalition in her two years as Chair of the Executive Board. The speaker during opening session was Christie Luce, Bureau Chief of Preparedness and Response from the Florida Department of Health, who provided an overview of FDOH and their role in statewide preparedness efforts.
Speakers and instructors traveled from across the state and country for the Summit. An engaging panel, including Aaron Otis, Dr. Brad Elias, John Konhke , Wayne Watts and John Wilgis discussed the issues of Patient Transport and Evacuation. The session focused on experiences during Hurricane Matthew and lessons learned for future events.
Mr. Scott Cormier, Vice President of Emergency Management, EC and Safety from Medxcel, spoke on issues involving Active Shooter incidents in Healthcare Facilities. Currently, this is a very relevant topic in Northeast Florida and a focus of upcoming Coalition work.
Two sessions were held on requirements of the CMS Rule. This drew participants from a variety of healthcare facilities around the Region. The implementation of the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule is a challenge to many facilities and the Coalition is working to assist facilities in meeting the new requirements.
The highlight of the day was the lunch keynote speaker, Ms. Sheri Fink. Ms. Fink is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, who famously wrote the book, Five Days at Memorial, which explored the decisions made at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Fink addressed the participants with stories of how decisions made at every level affected the outcomes of patients during Katrina. For more information contact Eric Anderson, eanderson@nefrc.org.
The Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition sponsored an Ebola Preparedness Summit at the Lexington Hotel on the Southbank. The agenda for the day included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Infectious Diseases training; Infectious Disease Scenario training as well as a discussion based table top exercise focused on an Ebola outbreak in the Region. The day also included two working lunch sessions, which led participants in facilitated discussions on the Region’s ability to manage an infectious disease outbreak as well as the critical roles and responsibilities of partner agencies in an event. The event was well attended and included representation from hospitals, healthcare facilities, County Departments of Health, Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services. For more information on the Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition, please contact Eric Anderson, eanderson@nefrc.org.
The Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition hosted a tabletop exercise at the Mayo Clinic on April 27 for member organizations in its six-county region. With nearly 50 attendees, there was representation from County Departments of Health, Emergency Management, EMS Provider, and hospitals. The discussion centered on the evacuation of hospitals and healthcare facilities in advance of a hurricane, with a focus on how the region could work together during such an event. There was meaningful discussion on the problems that exist in discharging, transferring and sheltering the number of patients as required by the scenario. For more information, please contact Eric Anderson, eanderson@nefrc.org.
