Surface and air contamination with SARS-CoV-2 from hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Toronto, Canada

Background The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in air and on surfaces in rooms of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and to identify patient characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs, surface, and air samples were collected from the rooms of 78 inpatients with COVID-19 at six acute care hospitals in Toronto from March to May 2020. Samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and cultured to determine potential infectivity. Whole viral genomes were sequenced from nasopharyngeal and surface samples. Association between patient factors and detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in surface samples were investigated using a mixed-effects logistic regression model. Findings SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected from surfaces (125/474 samples; 42/78 patients) and air (3/146 samples; 3/45 patients) in COVID-19 patient rooms; 14% (6/42) of surface samples from three patients yielded viable virus. Viral sequences from nasopharyngeal and surface samples clustered by patient. Multivariable analysis indicated hypoxia at admission, a PCR-positive nasopharyngeal swab with a cycle threshold of ≤30 on or after surface sampling date, higher Charlson co-morbidity score, and shorter time from onset of illness to sample date were significantly associated with detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in surface samples. Interpretation The infrequent recovery of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus from the environment suggests that the risk to healthcare workers from air and near-patient surfaces in acute care hospital wards is likely limited. Surface contamination was greater when patients were earlier in their course of illness and in those with hypoxia, multiple co-morbidities, and higher SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in NP swabs. Our results suggest that, while early detection and isolation of COVID-19 patients is important, air and surfaces may pose limited risk a few days after admission to acute care hospitals.

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The occurrence and timing of delirium in acute care hospitalizations in the last year of life: A population-based retrospective cohort study

Palliative Medicine ◽

10.1177/0269216320929545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 1067-1077

Author(s):

Colleen Webber ◽

Christine L Watt ◽

Shirley H Bush ◽

Peter G Lawlor ◽

Robert Talarico ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Acute Care ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Prevalence Ratio ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Population Based ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Factors Associated

Background: Delirium is a distressing neurocognitive disorder that is common among terminally ill individuals, although few studies have described its occurrence in the acute care setting among this population. Aim: To describe the prevalence of delirium in patients admitted to acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, in their last year of life and identify factors associated with delirium. Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study using linked health administrative data. Delirium was identified through diagnosis codes on hospitalization records. Setting/participants: Ontario decedents (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016) admitted to an acute care hospital in their last year of life, excluding individuals age of <18 years or >105 years at admission, those not eligible for the provincial health insurance plan between their hospitalization and death dates, and non-Ontario residents. Results: Delirium was recorded as a diagnosis in 8.2% of hospitalizations. The frequency of delirium-related hospitalizations increased as death approached. Delirium prevalence was higher in patients with dementia (prevalence ratio: 1.43; 95% confidence interval: 1.36–1.50), frailty (prevalence ratio: 1.67; 95% confidence interval: 1.56–1.80), or organ failure–related cause of death (prevalence ratio: 1.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–1.31) and an opioid prescription (prevalence ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.12–1.21). Prevalence also varied by age, sex, chronic conditions, antipsychotic use, receipt of long-term care or home care, and hospitalization characteristics. Conclusion: This study described the occurrence and timing of delirium in acute care hospitals in the last year of life and identified factors associated with delirium. These findings can be used to support delirium prevention and early detection in the hospital setting.

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Communication behavior of cognitively impaired older inpatients

Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie ◽

10.1007/s00391-019-01623-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 52 (S4) ◽

pp. 264-272

Author(s):

Eva-Luisa Schnabel ◽

Hans-Werner Wahl ◽

Susanne Penger ◽

Julia Haberstroh

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Acute Care ◽

Older Patients ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Well Being ◽

Communication Behavior ◽

Care Hospital

Abstract Background and objective Acutely ill older patients with cognitive impairment represent a major subgroup in acute care hospitals. In this context, communication plays a crucial role for patients’ well-being, healthcare decisions, and medical outcomes. As validated measures are lacking, we tested the psychometric properties of an observational instrument to assess Communication Behavior in Dementia (CODEM) in the acute care hospital setting. As a novel feature, we were also able to incorporate linguistic and social-contextual measures. Material and methods Data were drawn from a cross-sectional mixed methods study that focused on the occurrence of elderspeak during care interactions in two German acute care hospitals. A total of 43 acutely ill older patients with severe cognitive impairment (CI group, Mage ± SD = 83.6 ± 5.7 years) and 50 without cognitive impairment (CU group, Mage ± SD = 82.1 ± 6.3 years) were observed by trained research assistants during a standardized interview situation and rated afterwards by use of CODEM. Results Factor analysis supported the expected two-factor solution for the CI group, i.e., a verbal content and a nonverbal relationship aspect. Findings of the current study indicated sound psychometric properties of the CODEM instrument including internal consistency, convergent, divergent, and criterion validity. Conclusion CODEM represents a reliable and valid tool to examine the communication behavior of older patients with CI in the acute care hospital setting. Thus, CODEM might serve as an important instrument for researcher and healthcare professionals to describe and improve communication patterns in this environment.

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Estimated Annual Number of US Acute-Care Hospital Inpatients Meeting ACCP Criteria for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Prophylaxis.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v106.11.903.903 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 903-903 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frederick A. Anderson ◽

Max Zayaruzny ◽

John A. Heit ◽

Alexander T. Cohen ◽

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Operative Procedure ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Care Quality ◽

Major Surgery ◽

Medical Illness ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Vte Prophylaxis ◽

Hospital Inpatients

Abstract Background While consensus guidelines regarding VTE prophylaxis for hospital inpatients have been available for more than 15 years, the number of US inpatients who are potentially eligible for prophylaxis is unknown. Such data are required for estimating the potential costs and benefits of prophylaxis in reducing VTE incidence. Objective To estimate the number of Y2002 US acute-care hospital inpatients who are potentially eligible for VTE prophylaxis. Methods We applied the 7th (2004) American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) Consensus Conference VTE prophylaxis guidelines (Geerts et al. Chest2004;126:338S–400S) to inpatients with hospital discharge International Classification of Disease (ICD-9) codes for major surgery or medical illness identified from the Healthcare Utilization and Cost Database (HCUP), a national acute-care hospital database supported by the US Agency for Health Care Quality Research. Results Of a total of 37.8 million inpatients discharged from US acute-care hospitals in Y2002, 13.4 million (35%) met ACCP guideline criteria for VTE prophylaxis (Table). Table. Inpatients Discharged from US Acute-Care Hospitals with ACCP Guideline Defined Risk of VTE in Y2002 Surgical VTE Risk N Highest risk surgery 744,465 High risk surgery 3,031,318 Moderate risk surgery 2,019,696 Surgical subtotal 5,795,479 Medical VTE Risk N Heart failure 1,867,576 Cancer 1,017,356 Stroke 515,370 Other medical conditions 4,196,343 Medical subtotal 7,596,645 Grand Total 13,392,124 Among the 37.8 million Y2002 discharged inpatinets, 7.7 million were defined by HCUP criteria as having had a major operative procedure. When ACCP surgical risk criteria were applied to this population, 1.9 (25%) were at low VTE risk, while 5.8 million (75%) were at moderate (26%), high (39%) or highest (10%) VTE risk. Among the patients without a major operative procedure, 7.6 million met the ACCP criteria for VTE prophylaxis based on medical illness risk factors. Conclusions In total, 13.4 million US residents meet ACCP criteria for VTE prophylaxis annually due to hospitalization for either major surgery or medical illness. Given that almost 60% of all VTE events occurring in the community are related to recent acute-care hospitalization, providing universal, safe and effective VTE prophylaxis to this population affords an important opportunity to significantly reduce the incidence of VTE. These data provide support for developing and monitoring compliance with hospital-wide guidelines for VTE prevention.

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Acute Emergence of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Infection among Mechanically Ventilated Patients in a Long-Term Acute Care Facility

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/649223 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 54-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Kingsley N. Weaver ◽

Roderick C. Jones ◽

Rosemary Albright ◽

Yolanda Thomas ◽

Carlos H. Zambrano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Care Facility ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Mechanically Ventilated ◽

Mechanically Ventilated Patients ◽

Elizabethkingia Meningoseptica ◽

Ventilated Patients

Objective.To describe an outbreak of infection associated with an infrequently implicated pathogen, Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, in an increasingly prominent setting for health care of severely ill patients, the long-term acute care hospital.Design.Outbreak investigation.Setting.Long-term acute care hospital with 55 patients, most of whom were mechanically ventilated.Methods.We defined a case as E. meningoseptica isolated from any patient specimen source from December 2007 through April 2008, conducted an investigation of case patients, obtained environmental specimens, and performed microbiologic testing.Results.Nineteen patients had E. meningoseptica infection, and 8 died. All case patients had been admitted with respiratory failure that required mechanical ventilation. Among the 8 individuals who died, the time from collection of the first specimen positive for E. meningoseptica to death ranged from 6 to 43 days (median, 16 days). Environmental sampling was performed on 106 surfaces; E. meningoseptica was isolated from only one swab. Three related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns were identified in patient isolates; the environmental isolate yielded a fourth, unrelated pattern.Conclusion.Long-term acute care hospitals with mechanically ventilated patients could serve as an important transmission setting for E. meningoseptica. This multidrug-resistant bacterium could pose additional risk when patients are transferred between long-term acute care hospitals and acute care hospitals.

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Long-term acute care hospitals and Georgia Medicaid: Utilization, outcomes, and cost

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/2050312116670928 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 205031211667092

Author(s):

Evan S. Cole ◽

Carla Willis ◽

William C Rencher ◽

Mei Zhou

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Diagnosis Related Groups ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Risk Scores ◽

Average Risk ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Hospital Patients ◽

Medicaid Population

Objectives: Because most research on long-term acute care hospitals has focused on Medicare, the objective of this research is to describe the Georgia Medicaid population who received care at a long-term acute care hospital, the type and volume of services provided by these long-term acute care hospitals, and the costs and outcomes of these services. For those with select respiratory conditions, we descriptively compare costs and outcomes to those of patients who received care for the same services in acute care hospitals. Methods: We describe Georgia Medicaid recipients admitted to a long-term acute care hospital between 2011 and 2012. We compare them to a population of Georgia Medicaid recipients admitted to an acute care hospital for one of five respiratory diagnosis-related groups. Measurements used include patient descriptive information, admissions, diagnosis-related groups, length of stay, place of discharge, 90-day episode costs, readmissions, and patient risk scores. Results: We found that long-term acute care hospital admissions for Medicaid patients were fairly low (470 90-day episodes) and restricted to complex cases. We also found that the majority of long-term acute care hospital patients were blind or disabled (71.2%). Compared to patients who stayed at an acute care hospital, long-term acute care hospital patients had higher average risk scores (13.1 versus 9.0), lengths of stay (61 versus 38 days), costs (US$143,898 versus US$115,056), but fewer discharges to the community (28.4% versus 51.8%). Conclusion: We found that the Medicaid population seeking care at long-term acute care hospitals is markedly different than the Medicare populations described in other long-term acute care hospital studies. In addition, our study revealed that Medicaid patients receiving select respiratory care at a long-term acute care hospital were distinct from Medicaid patients receiving similar care at an acute care hospital. Our findings suggest that state Medicaid programs should carefully consider reimbursement policies for long-term acute care hospitals, including bundled payments that cover both the original hospitalization and long-term acute care hospital admission.

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Introducing virtual reality therapy for inpatients with dementia admitted to an acute care hospital: learnings from a pilot to pave the way to a randomized controlled trial

Pilot and Feasibility Studies ◽

10.1186/s40814-020-00708-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lora Appel ◽

Erika Kisonas ◽

Eva Appel ◽

Jennifer Klein ◽

Deanna Bartlett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Acute Care ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Pharmacological Intervention ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract Background Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are difficult to manage, particularly in acute care settings. As virtual reality (VR) technology becomes increasingly accessible and affordable, there is growing interest among clinicians to evaluate VR therapy in hospitalized patients, as an alternative to administering antipsychotics/sedatives or using physical restraints associated with negative side effects. Objectives Validate and refine the proposed research protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that evaluates the impact of VR therapy on managing BPSD in acute care hospitals. Special attention was given to ascertain the processes of introducing non-pharmacological interventions in acute care hospitals. Methods Ten patients 65 years or older (mean = 87) previously diagnosed with dementia, admitted to an acute care hospital, were recruited over 3-month period into a prospective longitudinal pilot study. The intervention consisted of viewing 20-min of immersive 360° VR using a head-mounted display. Baseline and outcomes data were collected from the hospital electronic medical records, pre/post mood-state questionnaires, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score, and standardized qualitative observations. Comprehensive process data and workflow were documented, including timestamps for each study task and detailed notes on personnel requirements and challenges encountered. Results Of 516 patients admitted during the study, 67 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. In total, 234 calls were initiated to substitute decision makers (SDM) of the 67 patients for the consenting process. Nearly half (45.6%) of SDMs declined participation, and 40% could not be reached in time before patients being discharged, resulting in 57 eligible patients not being enrolled. Ten consented participants were enrolled and completed the study. The initial VR session averaged 53.6 min, largely due to the administration of NPI (mean = 19.5 min). Only four participants were able to respond reliably to questions. Seven participants opted for additional VR therapy sessions; of those providing feedback regarding the VR content, they wanted more varied scenery (animals, fields of flowers, holiday themes). Few sessions (4/18) encountered technical difficulties. Conclusion The pilot was instrumental in identifying issues and providing recommendations for the RCT. Screening, inclusion criteria, consenting, data collection, and interaction with SDMs and hospital staff were all processes requiring changes and optimizations. Overall, patients with dementia appear to tolerate immersive VR, and with suggested protocol alterations, it is feasible to evaluate this non-pharmacological intervention in acute care hospitals.

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Palliative care for cancer patients near end of life in acute-care hospitals across Canada: a look at the inpatient palliative care code

Current Oncology ◽

10.3747/co.26.4563 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Tung ◽

J. Chadder ◽

D. Dudgeon ◽

C. Louzado ◽

J. Niu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

End Of Life ◽

Acute Care ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Administrative Databases ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Care Needs ◽

Patients With Cancer

Hospitals play an important role in the care of patients with advanced cancer: nearly half of all cancer deaths occur in acute-care settings. The need for increasing access to palliative care and related support services for patients with cancer in acute-care hospitals is therefore growing. Here, we examine how often and how early in their illness patients with cancer might be receiving palliative care services in the 2 years before their death in an acute-care hospital in Canada. The palliative care code from inpatient administrative databases was used as a proxy for receiving, or being referred for, palliative care. Currently, the palliative care code is the only data element routinely collected from patient charts that allows for the tracking of palliative care activity at a pan-Canadian level. Our findings suggest that most patients with cancer who die in an acute-care hospital receive a palliative designation; however, many of those patients are identified as palliative only in their final admission before death. Of the patients who received a palliative designation before their final admission, nearly half were identified as palliative less than 2 months before death. Findings signal that delivery of services within and between jurisdictions is not consistent, that the palliative care needs of some patients are being missed by physicians, and that palliative care is still largely seen as end-of-life care and is not recognized as an integral component of cancer care. Measuring the provision of system-wide palliative care remains a challenge because comprehensive national data about palliative care are not currently reported from all sectors. To advance measurement and reporting of palliative care in Canada, attention should be focused on collecting comparable data from regional and provincial palliative care programs that individually capture data about palliative care delivery in all health care sectors.

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A cross-sectional study of patient safety culture in acute-care hospitals in Greece

Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management ◽

10.1177/2516043520924192 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 106-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vassilis Η Aletras ◽

Spyridon Klinis ◽

Afentoula G Mavrodi ◽

Despina Kakalou ◽

Asimenia Ntantana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Acute Care ◽

Safety Culture ◽

National Health System ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Patient Safety Culture ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hospital Units

Background The development of a culture of safety can bring about an improvement in patient safety and quality of care. We aimed to investigate patient safety culture within an acute-care hospital setting in Greece. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire in two large acute-care hospitals in Greece. We examined questionnaire’s factorial structure using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. We assessed scales’ internal consistency, test–retest reliability and construct validity. To assess changes in patient safety culture, we conducted surveys at two points in time (2009 and 2014). Regression analysis examined whether any changes in scale scores could have been due to quality programs implementation or participants’ professional characteristics. Results Six scales with satisfactory psychometric properties emerged, namely ‘Teamwork Across Hospital Units’, ‘Teamwork Within Hospital Units’, ‘Feedback and Communication About Error’, ‘Frequency of Event Reporting’, ‘Supervisor/Manager Expectations and ‘Actions Promoting Safety’, ‘Hospital Management Support for Patient Safety’. Overall ratings of patient safety did not change over time. However, one of the two institutions experienced an increase in reported events. Conclusions The HSOPSC is a valuable tool for assessing patient safety culture in Greece. Moreover, despite the radical reduction in the financing of the Greek National Health System reported between 2009 and 2014, patient safety culture did not deteriorate. A worldwide trend towards increasing patient safety awareness, along with the increasing effort of hospitals’ administration to support patient safety might explain this lack of differences between the two points in time.

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539. Canaries in a Coal Mine?: Early Identification of Regional Spread of Novel Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) Using Sentinel Surveillance in Skilled Nursing Facilities Caring For Ventilated Patients (vSNFs)

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz360.608 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. S257-S258

Author(s):

Prabasaj Paul ◽

Rachel Slayton ◽

Maroya S Walters ◽

John A Jernigan

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Acute Care ◽

Clinical Microbiology ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Sentinel Surveillance ◽

Point Prevalence ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Real Time Monitoring ◽

Healthcare Facilities

Abstract Background Regional containment of novel or targeted MDROs depends on detecting their presence as soon as possible following their introduction. Prior modeling studies suggest that after importation to a region, novel MDROs appear relatively quickly in certain high-risk post-acute long-term care facilities via patient movement. Sentinel surveillance in such facilities might facilitate early detection of emergent MDROs, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of containment efforts. Methods We simulated the introduction and spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in a region using an adaptation of a previously described susceptible-infectious-susceptible model (Clin Infect Dis. 2019 March 28 doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz248). The model includes the patient sharing network among healthcare facilities in an exemplar US state, using claims data and the Minimum Data Set from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2015. Disease progression, transmission and testing rates were estimated for CRE using data from the literature. Each simulated outbreak was initiated with a single importation to a Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care hospital referral region. The predicted timing of first CRE detection using two different data sources was compared: (1) real-time monitoring of clinical microbiology test results, or (2) results from quarterly point prevalence colonization surveys (PPSs). For each data source, the timing of earliest detection was compared according to availability of data from: (a) all healthcare facilities statewide, (b) only long-term acute care hospitals, (c) only vSNFs, or (d) only the largest acute care hospitals in the state (n = 23). Results Compared with real-time monitoring of clinical microbiology testing results from all facilities statewide, quarterly PPSs at all facilities detected CRE 446 days (median; range 312–608 days) earlier, while PPSs at only vSNFs (representing 4.4% of inpatient beds statewide) detected CRE 385 days (range 194–553 days) earlier (figures). Conclusion Regular point prevalence surveys in vSNFs may detect new MDROs in a region approximately one year sooner than real-time monitoring of clinical microbiology results, and may be an efficient strategy for early regional detection and subsequent containment. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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(P2-78) Creating Alternate Care Sites and Community-Based Care Centers for the Delivery of Medical Care During Public Health Emergencies

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x1100522x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S1) ◽

pp. s161-s161

Author(s):

M. Reilly

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Acute Care ◽

Care Center ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Public Health Emergency ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Community Based ◽

Surge Capacity ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Concept Of Operations

IntroductionDeveloping alternative systems to deliver emergency health services during a pandemic or public health emergency is essential to preserving the operation of acute care hospitals and the overall health care infrastructure. Alternate care sites or community-based care centers which can serve as areas for primary screening and triage or short-term medical treatment can assist in diverting non-acute patients from hospital emergency departments and manage non-life threatening illnesses in a systematic and efficient manner. Additionally, if planned for correctly these facilities can also be used to decant less critical patients from inpatient wards thereby increasing the surge capacity of acute care hospitals.MethodsA model concept of operations plan for alternate care sites to be used during pandemics and large-scale public health emergencies was developed over a 3 year period, 2007–2010. Subject matter experts were convened and best-practice methods were used to design operational plans, clinical protocols, modified standards of care, and checklists for facilities appropriate to locate such a facility. This model plan was designed to allow the mild to moderately ill patient to be managed in a non-acute care hospital or community-based care setting and then ultimately return to their homes for convalescence, following a public health emergency where regional surge capacity had been exceeded.ResultsOver three years of interagency, comprehensive planning, training and review was conducted to create the model alternate care site/community-based care center concept of operations plan. Accomplishments and milestones included: Creating stakeholders, engaging community partners, site selection, staffing issues, detailed medical protocols and clinical pathways, functional role development, equipment and supplies, site security, media and communications plans, designing training programs and conducting drills and exercises.ConclusionThe key tenets of the concept, planning, operation and demobilization of an alternate care site or community-based care center will be discussed in this session. Participants will learn what has worked based on our planning experience. Lessons learned and best-practices developed in our program will be presented to assist attendees in beginning or continuing the process of creating surge capacity in the out-of-hospital setting, by planning to operate alternate care sites in their local areas.

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