Alabama Primary Health Care Association

APHCA Emergency

Preparedness Program

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Our Mission

• APHCA's mission is to strengthen and expand Alabama's community health center network through service, education and collaboration so that Alabamians have access to coordinated health care and improved outcomes.

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Emergency Preparedness

• APHCA is committed to providing emergency preparedness planning and training services in support of its community health centers’ efforts to respond to natural and man-made disasters effectively.

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Recent Emergency Events and Incidents

• April 2011 Tornado Outbreak• H1N1 Flu Pandemic• February 2014 Winter Storm• April 2014 Tornado Outbreak• Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

(MERS) Monitoring

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

APHCA Emergency Preparedness Technical Assistance

• Development of emergency plans, policy and procedures

• Support health center efforts to integrate with state and federal emergency response collaborative

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

APHCA Emergency Preparedness Training

• Health center topics include:– Surge Capacity– Business Continuity Planning– Addressing Workflow Challenges with Loss

of Resources (loss of power, no access to EMR/patient data, tracking billables, etc.)

– Communication Planning– Policies and Procedures-

Compliance with TJC and NCQA Standards

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Local, State, and NationalCollaborative Efforts

• River Region Healthcare Coalition• Alabama Dept. of Public Health (ADPH),

Center for Emergency Preparedness• University of South Alabama (USA),

Center for Strategic Health Innovation• National Association of Community

Health Centers (NACHC), Emergency Management Advisory Council

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Emergency Communication Network

• APHCA partners with the ADPH, Center for Emergency Preparedness and SouthernLINC to create an emergency communication system to ensure continuity of access to care during natural disasters and emergency events

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Emergency Communication Network Cont’d

• Funded by a federal grant that is awarded and dispersed by ADPH annually

• Consists of community health centers, hospitals and nursing homes, over 425 contacts statewide

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Emergency Communication Network Cont’d

• Specialized Mobile Radios (SMRs) and support equipment supplied by SouthernLINC

• Weekly call down drill conducted by ADPH to test SMRs and response rates

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Advance Regional Response Training

• USA and the Advanced Regional Response Training Center (ARRTC) provide emergency preparedness themed table top exercises where health center staff members are presented with the most up-to-date information on emergency management, health centers’ role during a disaster, disaster planning and emergency response review

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

ARRTC

• Partnership with APHCA to provide hands-on emergency preparedness exercises to community health centers (grant-funded)

• Regional “road shows” to bring training closer to home and create easy access to health center staff.

Topics include: – National Information Management System Updates– Strategic National Stockpile/Points of Dispensing– How to Respond in an Active Shooter Event– Altered Standards of Care and Continuity of Operations – Hazmat training

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Questions?

For additional information contact Regina Newsome

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator rnewsome@alphca.com

Alabama Primary Health Care Association

Thank you!

For additional information contact Regina Newsome

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator rnewsome@alphca.com