Cincinnati Children's Establishes Nation's First Office of Emergency Management
CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is the first hospital in the nation to establish an office or department specifically dedicated to emergency preparedness for natural or man-made disasters.
The creation of the Office of Emergency Management at Cincinnati Children's coincides with the US Department of Homeland Security's efforts to help enhance the ability to prepare for and respond to threats or incidents of terrorism.
The mission of the Office of Emergency Management is to bring the medical center "to the highest level of emergency management readiness," according to Nathan Timm, MD, an emergency medicine physician and officer of emergency management.
"The common scenario is that a hospital committee made up of volunteers from throughout hospital departments assumes responsibility for emergency management," says Dr. Timm. "The war on terrorism and the normal risks of natural and man-made disasters have made the job of emergency preparedness enormous. We established the Office of Emergency Management to work in conjunction with our hospital committee to achieve the highest possible level of readiness."
Dr. Timm earned a medical degree at the University of Iowa in 1997 and completed his pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2000. He is completing his pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Cincinnati Children's. He has been an active member of the Cincinnati Children's Emergency Preparedness Committee and the Hamilton County Medical Assistance Team. Dr. Timm has attended numerous national conferences on hospital emergency preparedness, including hazardous material exposure and bioterrorism preparedness.
The Office of Emergency Management is modeled after similar designs for managing hospital infection control and HIPAA compliance. The office is headed by the officer of emergency management with support from an administrative specialist knowledgeable about emergency preparedness principles, regulations and response plans.
The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for JCAHO regulation compliance; design, coordination and documentation of emergency management drills, staff training and compliance, quality management and performance improvement; and representation at local, regional and national emergency management readiness meetings.
Cincinnati Children's also has implemented the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS), which was developed in California to assist the operation of medical facilities in times of crisis. HEICS is a set of response procedures that fit within a hospital's emergency preparedness plan. By implementing HEICS, Cincinnati Children's will be able to provide a quick, well-coordinated response in the event of a disaster that can minimize chaos and confusion. HEICS also aligns the Cincinnati Children's emergency response with that of local, state and national emergency responders.
Contact Information
Jim Feuer, 513-636-4656,
jim.feuer@cchmc.org
