Preparing for the worst

How the Health System prepares for natural disasters, biothreats

Almost every day the media features stories declaring threats to our safety and health, such as bird flu, pandemic influenza and hurricanes—all stories that can cause alarm when one is uncertain how to defend against them.

But Peter Forster, administrator for Emergency Medicine, looks at it another way. “I was a Boy Scout, and I can’t help but think of their motto: Be prepared.” And that’s just what the Health System is doing to ensure staff safety while providing for medical needs in the event of a disaster.

By participating in biannual emergency preparedness exercises in coordination with the National Disaster Management System and the Bio-Defense Network, the Health System is able to understand how it can and will respond to specific disaster scenarios.

“The NDMS is the closest thing we have to a national organized system that deals with natural or man-made disasters. We designate a certain number of beds to be made available, if needed,” Forster says.

The NDMS also organizes Disaster Management Assistance Teams made up of emergency responders, doctors and nurses who may be called upon to offer assistance, as many employees did in response to Hurricane Katrina.

The National Bio-Defense Network coordinates medical response to biological disasters. Michigan’s Bio-Defense Network, which was formalized in 2002, comprises eight regions, each a collaborative of local hospitals, health departments and other emergency response agencies. UMHS is part of Region 2 South: Washtenaw, Monroe and parts of Wayne County.

In preparation for the most immediate threat—pandemic influenza—Bruce Cadwallender, director of Safety Management Services, explains, “We’re drawing on our experience with preparations for anthrax, smallpox and SARS, but our preparedness plans continuously evolve based on the current threat.”

Recently, UMHS participated in two exercises. In December 2005, Alternate Care Center Exercise participants looked at whether Palmer Commons could be used to accommodate patients if the Health System’s capacity was overwhelmed. Last month, participants performed a functional exercise with “victims” in a pandemic influenza scenario.