| HPP Grant Guidance Analysis and SES solutions matrix |
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Louisiana Awards State-Wide Contract SES to conduct specialized training and exercises |
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Mass Fatality Events (PART 3 of 4)
Experts in the fields of mortuary affairs, medical examiners, healthcare, law enforcement, disaster mental health, military, social services, public health, emergency management, and disaster response have been assembled to provide subject matter instruction and consultation. A total of 180 years of actual mass fatalities experience resulting from natural disasters, aviation accidents, and terrorist activities have been combined to create the most comprehensive mass fatalities training program in existence.
Simulation Education Services
Simulation Education Services (SES ) is a nationally recognized organization which has introduced cost effective, compliant, and innovative solutions for hospitals to address the need for disaster and emergency preparedness through Internet-based DeskTop Exercises using distance conferencing technologies . Designed and led by nationally known experts from the University of Texas Health Science Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness and Texas A&M University, the DeskTop Exercises encourage hospitals to involve community disaster resources including other public health, public safety, and health resources, provide a realistic sense of urgency in decision making and response, and exercise the communication and interaction among all involved organizations and agencies.
SES has designed its drills from start to finish to comply with federal and state guidance documents for submission of applications to seek funding for these activities. Also, SES exercises are also designed to provide hospitals with the data and reports they need to report annually on performance measures for their response network. More importantly, the reports generated following the drills provide hospitals and health systems the information they need to evolve their preparedness and response capabilities.
Continuous process improvement activities are essential for successful emergency preparedness and response. Healthcare facilities along with public and private organizations must periodically exercise plans to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement as a part of their commitment to preparedness as well as to meet regulatory and accreditation requirements. It is that experience that ensures preparedness and resiliency at both the organizational level and the community level.
Specifically, healthcare organizations throughout the country are faced with numerous challenges in emergency and disaster planning every year. One of the major influences are governmental regulatory and accreditation requirements mandating that hospitals' emergency operations plans and disaster management infrastructure are tested and evaluated every year. As an example, the new 2008 Joint Commission Accreditation Standards for Hospitals EC.4.20 and IC.6.10 state that each accredited hospital is required to test the response phase of its emergency operations plan twice a year, either in response to an actual emergency or in planned exercises. At least one community-wide exercise must be conducted a year and at least one exercise a year must be conducted that includes an influx or evacuation of simulated patients. SES has developed exercises that are community-based and that also involve the flow of simulated patients which are consistent with and fully meet the new 2008 Joint Commission Standards
Description of Regional/Community-Based DeskTop Exercises:
The current mainstay of SES's offering is its DeskTop Exercises, an innovative approach to traditional onsite table top exercises in which participants gather for a virtual event via web-based technology. SES has developed the first fully interactive low-bandwidth desktop distance learning exercise. Our platform is compatible with any bandwidth Internet connection, which facilitates extended reach into any hospital, public health center or office with dial-up connection capability. The audio is delivered using a telephone connection through a bank of digital audio servers. The visuals are delivered via an Internet connection to the SES secure web servers.
