Planning Considerations: Emergency Medical Services Regional Response Approach

Transcription

1 Planning Cnsideratins: Emergency Medical Services Reginal Respnse Apprach It is incumbent upn all ambulance services and advanced life supprt first respnse services in New Yrk State t cmply with the Acting Cmmissiner f Health s Order f Octber 16, 2014: In the Matter f the Preventin and Cntrl f Ebla Virus Disease. These planning cnsideratins are intended t apply t emergency medical services fr an individual that is suspected f having r cnfirmed t have Ebla Viral Disease (EVD). Many regins may find it apprpriate t develp a reginal apprach fr emergency medical respnse and inter facility transprtatin t meet lcal needs, maximize the efficacy f lcally available resurces and insure the safety f EMS prviders in respnse t a Persns Under Investigatin (PUI) r a cnfirmed case f EVD. Fr the purpses f this dcument, the term regin may include NYS EMS regins, cunties r multiple cunties r multiple municipalities. If a regin chses t develp a reginal apprach, depending upn the resurces and needs f the regin, ne r mre lead agencies must be identified and asked t staff and therwise peratinally supprt a reginal team. Agency participatin is vluntary. Neither regins, nr the Department, are empwered t cmpel any agency t participate. This prcess shuld include cperatin and supprt frm all f the EMS agencies and medical directrs in the regin. Please nte, if a regin chses t develp a reginal apprach, all ambulance services and advanced life supprt first respnse services in New Yrk State are still required t cmply with the Cmmissiner s Order. The cre missin f any reginal apprach develped shuld be: 1) T prtect the health and safety f ur EMS prviders. 2) T prvide persns under investigatin (PUIs), r patients with diagnsed Ebla Virus Disease (EVD), with apprpriate care, while limiting the pssibility f further cntagin. The develpment f a reginal apprach shuld be a cllabrative prcess invlving all lcal stakehlders and, at a minimum, shuld include: Reginal Emergency Medical Advisry Cmmittees (REMACs) Reginal EMS Cuncils (REMSCOs) Reginal Prgram Agencies Cunty EMS Crdinatrs Cunty Fire Crdinatrs Lcal EMS Agencies Agency Medical Directrs Lcal Public Safety Answering Pints (PSAPs) Reginal and lcal hspitals Lcal/Cunty Health Departments Where applicable state/cunty/lcal law enfrcement 1 P age

2 In assessing an agency, r agencies, fr participatin in a Reginal Respnse Team prgram, the fllwing shuld be cnsidered: Agency Management: Is the ambulance agency in cmpliance with all f the requirements set frth in the Cmmissiner Order f Octber 16, 2014; In the Matter f the Preventin and Cntrl f Ebla Virus Disease? Des the agency have the infrastructure, persnnel, equipment, vehicles and supplies in place necessary t supprt a reginal respnse? Is the agency s leadership available 24/7, and if s, is cntact infrmatin readily available t state/reginal and/r lcal stakehlders? What level f care is prvided by the agency, and is the level f care prvided apprpriate t meet the lcal need? Has the agency develped internal plicies and prcedures that address reginal respnse? Have these plicies and prcedures been reviewed by the agency medical directr and shared with the REMAC? Has the agency develped cmmunicatin prtcls with the designated hspital(s), lcal health department(s) and medical cntrl? Persnal Prtective Equipment (PPE) and Training: Have all EMS persnnel been trained in accrdance with Attachment A f the Cmmissiner s Order? Is persnal prtective equipment (PPE), as required by the Cmmissiner s Order, prvided t and available fr immediate dnning by EMS persnnel? Have EMS persnnel been prperly trained in the use, dnning, and dffing f PPE? Is there a plan in place t re train mnthly and t train new persnnel? Have EMS persnnel been trained in the prper prcedures fr decntaminating vehicles and equipment, including the prper remval f any hazardus Ebla waste? 2 P age

3 Persnnel: Has the agency identified a subgrup f EMS persnnel t staff the Reginal Respnse Team? If s, have these persnnel received any specific additinal training D the Agency s plicies and prcedures address, at a minimum, the fllwing: When persnnel may need t stay hme? Hw wuld any necessary medical treatment/evaluatin be prvided? Will cmpensatin be prvided? Vehicles: Has the agency designated, and peratinally prepared in advance, ne r mre ambulances fr respnse t suspected r cnfirmed cases f EVD? T the extent practicable, have all interir vehicle surfaces been cvered with a prtective and dispsable barrier t limit cntaminatin? Have equipment and supplies been prtected as defined by agency plicy? Emergency (911) Respnse, Treatment, and Transprt: Have EMS persnnel been trained t cmmunicate with the receiving hspital(s), lcal health department, and if required by the regin, direct medical cntrl, prir t arrival at the receiving hspital? Have EMS persnnel been trained and drilled in the respnse t a patient and transprtatin f the patient as well as the transfer f the patient frm the ambulance t the designated receiving area at the destinatin hspital? Are there reginally established prtcls fr direct medical cntrl, treatment, and transprt? Are there agreements and/r plans in place fr decntaminatin f persnnel and dispsal f cntaminated PPE and supplies at the receiving hspital? Other reginal criteria? Inter Facility Transfers: Each hspital is required t identify a primary ambulance service capable f prviding inter facility transprtatin f a PUI r a patient diagnsed with EVD. It is expected that this ambulance service will, in crdinatin with the hspital(s), have plans in place that include, but may nt be limited, t the fllwing: An Identified wrkgrup that includes ambulance service management staff, the medical directr as well as hspital management, infectin cntrl expertise and envirnmental/facility service staff; 3 P age

4 Identified ambulance vehicle r vehicles t be utilized fr inter facility transprts; Apprpriate PPE that is cnsistent with the requirements f the Cmmissiner s Order and cmpatible with the designated hspital; Dnning and dffing training/re training, plicies and dispsal plans develped in crdinatin with the hspital; Plans fr decntaminatin f persnnel, equipment and vehicles at the designated hspital; and Plans fr dispsal f cntaminated waste at the designated hspital. Are there reginally established prtcls fr direct medical cntrl, treatment, and transprt? Hspital Destinatins: Has the agency wrked with the lcal hspital(s) t develp prcedures fr ntificatin and patient transfer upn arrival at the facility with a PUI r a patient suspected f having EVD? Des the prcedure cntain specific and clear directins fr cmmunicatin and integratin with, the Lcal Health Department, NYS DOH, and the CDC? Are there apprpriate inter facility treatment prtcls? Crdinatin with PSAPs The develpment f a Reginal Respnse Team must include integratin and crdinatin with the lcal PSAP(s). Have the lcal PSAP(s) adpted the CDC s Interim Guidance fr Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and Public Safety Answering Pints (PSAPs) fr Management f Patients with Knwn r Suspected Ebla Virus Disease in the United States? Are the PSAPs screening fr fever and travel? In accrdance with the afrementined CDC recmmendatins, is the PSAP relaying pertinent call infrmatin t all respnders, prir t their arrival? Are first respnding EMS agencies being dispatched? Are they essential in this instance? Are reginal/lcal HAZ MAT teams respnding? 4 P age

5 Other Cnsideratins: New Yrk State is cmprised f eighteen (18) EMS regins. These regins range in cmpsitin frm extremely urban, including the largest city in the United States, t ultra rural. Reginal needs and access t resurces will differ. Regins with fewer resurces may wish t wrk cllabratively with neighbring regins that may have mre resurces available. Guidelines and best practices fr respnse t knwn and suspected cases f EVD may change t reflect the mst current infrmatin abut EVD. Prviders and rganizatins shuld cntinue t stay abreast f the mst current infrmatin. The websites belw prvide useful infrmatin and are frequently updated. 5 P age

6 Resurces: Acting Cmmissiner s Order Requirements fr EVD Preparedness NYS DOH General Infrmatin fr Prviders (several links are available frm this website): CDC Hmepage (several links are available frm this website): CDC Ebla Infrmatin CDC Checklist fr EMS Preparedness: paredness.pdf CDC Guidelines fr PSAPs: guidance emergency medical services systems 911 public safety answering pints management patients knwn suspected unitedstates.html 6 P age