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The Joint Commission News Releases
February 11, 2010
JCR to Host April 8-9 Emergency Preparedness Conference

Learn from the experts who develop and survey the standards

Stay safe - DJ

With events both recent and past indicating a trend to attack hospitals (or the victims and responders at them), we must continue to prepare for, and always remain vigilant against, possible attacks on our facilities. From the attacks in Mumbai to very recent events in Karachi, a surge in hospital related terror incidents should create concern…and more importantly a new offensive/defensive posture.

What can we be doing now to prepare? Be cognizant of probing behaviors. Many of the worst tragedies we have seen involved "probing" prior to attack (Murrah Building in OKC, 9/11, 2005 London bombings, etc). In the United States there have been widely reported incidents of unknown persons posing as staff or "officials" (JC imposters) to gain access to hospitals. As in any facility, do not share sensitive information and DEMAND credentials and I.D. when appropriate. Do not be afraid to question and challenge!

From an article in The New York Sun regarding probing:
"a series of incidents in that period in which people were caught taking unauthorized pictures of hospitals, asking for hospital blueprints, requesting information about the whereabouts of medicines that would be used in biological attacks, and inquiring about the institutions' capacity for cardiac care, trauma care, helicopter access, and private rooms." (NY SUN)

Challenge. Question. Verify.

Stay safe - DJ

Having just come back from from the IRTB course, there are many "lessons learned" that I believe we can all gain great insight from. I will begin to put out a series of posts on these "pearls" of wisdom in small chunks so they can be thoughtfully processed and discussions initiated. Again, if you have responsibility for emergency/disaster planning, I HIGHLY recommend that you make an attempt to attend this course.

Force protection - a new paradigm for hospitals

While hospitals strive to be open and welcoming environments (especially while competing for business in this economy and new era of customer choice), they must also become increasingly more vigilant. Hospitals as TARGETS of terrorist acts is a discussion that is rarely entertained. History, as well as daily events abroad, tell us that it is not a matter of if we get attacked again...but when, where, and how.

One of the new strategies that MUST be considered going forward is the protection of our staff as they care for the lives of others. As is the case with most who blindly race to the aid of others, self protection is often lost in the heat of the moment. Does your facility have plans to provide for safety in triage or mass casualty areas. Here is the shift: I am not talking about gloves and gowns. I am asking if there are plans to protect against secondary devices, homicidal/suicidal bombers, snipers, etc. Do you have plans for local law enforcement to provide force protection? This is what I mean by bridging the gaps.

Do your homework, make some calls, and start coordinating and cross training with other responders in your locale (LE, EMS Fire, Utilities, etc).

Stay tuned for more and stay safe.

Hospital Emergency Managers: the time is now.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that today has been a wakeup call about the preparedness steps that are needed to ensure that hospitals remain safe in the new environment and age of terrorism. While this course is advertised for "first responders" and is heavily attended by police, SWAT, fire personnel, and other public safety officials, representatives from hospitals are very welcomed and I would strongly encourage your attendance. We will be the first responders in any event targeting our facilities and we will need to be on the same page as everyone else in the homeland security world.

I will bring you more info from IRTB and continue to facilitate the conversations that we all need to be engaging in with respect to our emergency/terrorism planning and preparedness.

Stay safe

DJ

Good afternoon. On the eve of my departure to attend a the Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (IRTB) Course (a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP)course) I thought it would be useful to post an introduction and a purpose.

The purpose is simply this: to try to connect the dots between the homeland security world and the clinical/hospital world that needs to be constantly vigilant and prepared for disasters, terrorism, or other emergencies.

I am a manager at a hospital with a decade and a half in the field, a student who will shortly be starting a Master's in Public Health (Emergency Management concentration), and an up and coming Emergency Manager in Healthcare. Please read the bio-page for additional information.

I hope this blog will attract other healthcare and emergency professionals and lead to discussions that will pave the way for streamlined success...and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Good luck, stay safe...and I will write more from the IRTB.

Also follow or comment on twitter at ClinicalEM

BTW - click here for more information on the course (IRTB)

DJ Phalen

In addition to his full time job as a Clinical Manager at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, DJ is an EMT-1 who keeps his skills honed as a member of the elite medical unit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. DJ is also trained and certified in technical rescue, swift water rescue, tactical medicine, mountain rescue, high altitude medicine, disaster medicine, and sports injury prevention. On top of his service with the SAR team, DJ is active with DMAT CA-4, which is the federal disaster medical team, as well as San Diego County Medical Reserve Corp and Rural Fire in San Diego County.

DJ is currently working on his Master's in Public Health with an emphasis in Disaster and Emergency Management. He holds multiple national and international honors as well as honor society memberships. He is also a member of the International Emergency Manager's Association, National Sheriff's Association, American Psychological Association - Division 56 - Division of Trauma Psychology, and the California State Firefighters Association.

In addition to DJ's experience working in various hazardous outdoor conditionsâ€"such as winter rescue, desert operations, and working in disaster scenesâ€"he is an avid outdoorsman. Whether traversing the desert country of California, hunting in the Dakotas, fishing in the Ozarks of Missouri, hiking in the Grand Canyon, or simply walking the local trails with his family, DJ is acutely aware of the hazards that can pop-up in the outdoors, and is always looking for the safest, most efficient, and proven ways to deal with them. In addition, DJ is the chief field operative for boonDOCS and one of its medicine instructors (OutdoorChannel.com)

Outside of the hospital, DJ enjoys taking his wife and two young daughters on frequent outdoor trips (or just around their 6 acre mountain property). He is an avid trail-runner, hiker, and general outdoor adventuristâ€"and is beginning his training in the Leave No Trace principles. DJ also keeps busy as a Muay Thai Instructor at the University of California, San Diego and serves as the State Representative in California and South Dakota for the United States Muay Thai Association and as the State Director for the International Combatives Self-Defense Association.

Link up with DJ at LinkedIn