From silos to coalitions: The evolution of the US Hospital Preparedness Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Medcalf, PhD ◽  
Shreya Roy, MS, PhD Student ◽  
Sarbinaz Bekmuratova, PhD ◽  
Wael ElRayes, MBBCh, PhD, FACHE ◽  
Harlan Sayles, MS ◽  
...  

Objective: The objective of this article is to trace the hospital emergency preparedness movement in the United States, strengthen the case for hospital investments in emergency preparedness, and make recommendations to ensure sustainability of the program.  Design/Approach: This article is a narrative review. Main themes from the literature about the US Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) are discussed, beginning with the trends in funding levels of the HPP, the rise of regional healthcare coalitions, preparedness performance measures, and the challenges faced over the past 15 years of HPP activities. Finally, recommendations are made about ways to sustain the program.Findings: The HPP was established in 2002 and funding for the program has seen a 56 percent decrease over the last 16 years. Beyond the initial investment in supplies and equipment, hospitals have received very little of the healthcare preparedness funding.Disaster drills and exercises to test emergency plans in hospitals are perceived as a costly distraction from daily work. The biggest challenge is the lack of engagement and support from hospital leadership.Conclusions: To ensure the sustainability of the HPP, the positive impact of preparedness activities on the hospital’s day-to-day operations must be demonstrated.

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Hupert ◽  
Karen Biala ◽  
Tara Holland ◽  
Avi Baehr ◽  
Aisha Hasan ◽  
...  

AbstractThe US health care system has maintained an objective of preparedness for natural or manmade catastrophic events as part of its larger charge to deliver health services for the American population. In 2002, support for hospital-based preparedness activities was bolstered by the creation of the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, now called the Hospital Preparedness Program, in the US Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2012, this program has promoted linking health care facilities into health care coalitions that build key preparedness and emergency response capabilities. Recognizing that well-functioning health care coalitions can have a positive impact on the health outcomes of the populations they serve, this article informs efforts to optimize health care coalition activity. We first review the landscape of health care coalitions in the United States. Then, using principles from supply chain management and high-reliability organization theory, we present 2 frameworks extending beyond the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s current guidance in a way that may help health care coalition leaders gain conceptual insight into how different enterprises achieve similar ends relevant to emergency response. We conclude with a proposed research agenda to advance understanding of how coalitions can contribute to the day-to-day functioning of health care systems and disaster preparedness. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness.2015;9:717–723)


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e412-e420 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kelsey Kirkwood ◽  
Amy Hanley ◽  
Suanna S. Bruinooge ◽  
Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer ◽  
Laura A. Levit ◽  
...  

[Media: see text] Purpose: To describe the US hematology and medical oncology practice landscape and to report findings of the sixth annual ASCO Oncology Practice Census survey. Participants and Methods: ASCO used Medicare Physician Compare data to characterize oncology practices in the United States. Practice size, number of care sites, and geographic distribution were determined. Trends in the number and size of practices from 2013 to 2017 were examined. All US oncology practices were targeted for the survey; survey responses were linked to the practices identified from Physician Compare to augment results and assess generalizability. Results: More than 2,200 hematology/oncology practices provided care to adult patients in 2017. We observed annual decreases in the number of practices and annual increases in practice size. Of the 2017 practices, 394 (18%) completed the survey and accounted for 58% of the US hematologist/oncologist workforce (n = 7,203). Respondents tended to be larger and encompass more sites of care than nonrespondents. Surveyed practices cited payers (58%), competition (38%), and staffing (37%) as primary sources of strain. Prior authorization was dominant among payer pressures (78%). Electronic health records remained a burden on practices, with only 15% reporting full interoperability. Conclusion: The results of ASCO’s 2017 survey indicate that oncology practices are challenged by day-to-day operations, often related to payment, reimbursement, and competition. Our findings likely represent conservative estimates of such burdens because they are driven by responses from midsized to large-sized organizations, which have lower relative administrative burden, greater market influence, and potentially better ability to adapt in a changing health care environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 338-349
Author(s):  
Arman Artakovich Mikaelian ◽  
Vladimir Mikhailovich Morozov

The article analyses the US influence on Israeli policy towards both China and India. The United States has had and still has a significant influence on the dynamics of Israeli-Chinese and Israeli-Indian relations. The relevance of the issue stems from the growing importance of China and India in the world affairs amid rising tensions between the US and China that are spilling into a trade war. The article aims to explore the US influence on Israels policy in Asia. It examines the way how the Israeli leadership has adapted to Washingtons influence while promoting its strategic cooperation with China and India. The study comprises historical method, comparative analysis and historical-systematic analysis. The author comes to the following conclusions. First, Washingtons influence on Sino-Israeli relations has gone through five development stages: the first stage (1971-1989): implicit US support for the development of Sino-Israeli relations; the second stage (1990-1998): American criticism of military and technical cooperation between Israel and China; the third stage (1999-2005): Washingtons shift from criticism to pressure policy in order to prevent the Israeli leadership from military cooperation with China; the fourth stage (2006-2016): Israels acceptance of US demands and refusal to supply arms to Beijing (with Tel Aviv focusing on the development of trade and economic relations with China); the fifth stage (2017 - present): U.S. criticism of Israeli-Chinese economic cooperation amid worsening contacts between Beijing and Washington. The Israeli government is trying to meet Washingtons demands as well as preserve its strategic economic relations with Beijing. Second, the US factor, on the contrary, contributed to normalization of Indian-Israeli relations, having a positive impact on the development of trade, economic and military cooperation between Tel Aviv and New Delhi. Third, the US actions can be explained by an attempt to preserve its national interests. At the same time, the author stresses that the US influence on Israels policy in Asia complies with Washingtons regional priorities set forth in the 2017 US National Security Strategy.


Author(s):  
Evgeny Khoroshilov

In the XXI century, there is a slight decline in the importance of the United States for Canada as an economic partner, but the United States remain the main external force influencing the development of the Canadian economy. Canada is interested in unhindered access of its goods to the American market, free flow of capital between the two countries, the development of North American economic integration and, most importantly, in sustainable economic growth in the United States. If the economic policy of the Joe Biden administration ensures the dynamic development of the American economy, then this will have a positive impact on the Canadian economy. At the same time, a number of provisions of Biden's economic strategy, such as raising the corporate income tax, strengthening control over mergers and acquisitions, and the "Buy American" policy, contradict Canadian economic interests. At first glance, the Biden administration's commitment to combating climate change is also negative for Canada. However, a number of Canadian stakeholders may also become beneficiaries of the new "green" course of the American economy. In general, the Canadian establishment believes that Canada’s national interests are in further integration of the US and Canadian economies. The Biden administration's tenure in the White House is unlikely to be an obstacle to this process.


Author(s):  
Lucyna Kornecki ◽  
E. M. Ekanayake

The descriptive part of this research focuses on the latest trends in US inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and describes the US inward FDI flows and stock as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and includes geographic and sectoral distribution of inward US FDI. The important part of US inward FDI profile relates to inward US FDI employment and inward US FDI financial flows, which include equity, reinvested earnings, and intercompany debt. The corporate players, Mergers and Acquisitions(M&A's) and green field investment are discussed briefly. The empirical part of this research investigates state-based factors affecting the inward FDI employment among 50 states of the United States and is based on data collected by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). This study identifies several state-specific determinants of FDI employment. The results indicate that the major factors exerting positive impact on inward US FDI employment are: real wages, infrastructure, unionization level, educational attainment, FDI stock, and manufacturing density. In addition, the results show that gross state product growth rate, real per capita taxes has negative impact on FDI employment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s61-s61
Author(s):  
Andrew Hashikawa ◽  
Stuart Bradin ◽  
Michael Ambrose

Introduction:More than 14 million children in the United States attend summer camps yearly, including many special medical needs children. Summer camps are at risk for multiple pediatric casualties during a disaster. The American Camp Association, in the 2017 critical issues report, identified emergency preparedness as the top critical health and safety issue. Camps, compared to school-based settings, face unique challenges when planning for disasters, but research has been challenging because of the lack of access to camp leadership and data.Aim:Provide a targeted up-to-date synopsis on the current state of disaster preparedness and ongoing collaborative research and technology interventions for improving preparedness among summer camps.Methods:Researchers partnered with a national health records system (CampDoc.com) and American Academy of Pediatrics disaster experts to review results from a national camp survey. Main themes were identified to assess gaps and develop strategies for improving disaster preparedness.Results:169 camps responses were received from national camp leadership. A substantial proportion of camps were missing 4 critical areas of disaster planning: 1) Most lacked online emergency plans (53%), methods to communicate information to parents (25%), or strategies to identify children for evacuation/reunification (40%); 2) Disaster plans failed to account for special/medical needs children (38%); 3) Staff training rates were low for weather (58%), evacuation (46%), and lockdown (36%); 4) Most camps (75%) did not plan with disaster organizations.Discussion:Collaboration with industry and disaster experts will be key to address the gaps identified. Current research and interventions include the recent release of a communication alert tool allowing camps to send mass text emergency notifications. Additionally, a recent pilot to incorporate disaster plans into the electronic health records platform emphasizing communication, evacuation, and identification of local experts has begun. Efforts to develop a unified disaster tool kit for summer camps remains a challenge.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Maureen Connolly, EdD

Colleges and universities must be prepared to respond to events that could compromise the safety of any person in a classroom, residence hall, office, or any other campus facility as well as for any event that could jeopardize the continuation of use of any campus facility. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) states, “Higher education institutions ... are realizing that improving their campus’ resistance to disaster will not only protect their own lives and those of their students, it will also safeguard their campus’ instruction, research, and public service.” The US Department of Homeland Security, FEMA developed the overarching strategy, the National Response Framework (NRF), for emergency preparedness for “government executives, private-sector and nongovernmental organization leaders.” FEMA and the Department of Education (DOE) developed specific guidelines for emergency preparedness for colleges and universities. This study linked these guidelines to the five principles of the NRF. Most institutions have an emergency preparedness plan, but just how effective are these plans? Do community colleges, state, independent, and proprietary institutions differ in terms of their level of emergency preparedness? The target population for this study is colleges and universities in the United States. This quantitative study measured how aligned the emergency preparedness plans of these colleges and universities are to the recommendations of FEMA and the US DOE, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The data suggest that much more needs to be done to bring college and university emergency plans into alignment with the government recommendations. Alignment with the government documents for this sample of US colleges and universities is extremely low for each principle of the NRF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 548-568
Author(s):  
Marvellous Ngundu ◽  
◽  
Nicholas Ngepah ◽  

This study uses a vector of FDI-weighted real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates as proxy for the output growth of China, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US). Using a two-stage least squares estimator over a sample of 42 sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2003–2012, our findings reveal that only the EU’s output spillovers have a significant impact on sub-Saharan Africa’s growth: a 1% increase (decrease) in the EU’s output growth can lead to a 0.02% increase (decrease) in sub-Saharan Africa’s real GDP per capita. The results obtained from the panel threshold regression analysis indicate that this linkage is not conditional on the availability of natural resources, unlike the output spillovers from the US and China, which bear a positive impact only in countries with resource rents of at least 24.3% and 24.1%, respectively. These are mostly oil-abundant countries, implying that China’s motive for natural resources in Africa is not different from that of the US. While the resource rents threshold level of 24.3% can serve as the benchmark for natural resource management policies to benefit from both China and the US output spillovers, a diversified FDI is also encouraged to minimize the risk associated with the resource growth paradigm.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Selcuk KENDIRLI ◽  
Sedat KUSGOZOGLU ◽  
M. Sakir BASARAN

In this study we examine the impacts of expansionary monetary policies executed by the Federal Reserve on poverty in the United States of America. It has been discussed in various studies that the Fed’s expansionary monetary policies create a less positive impact on economy as a whole than financial sector. In this study, the expansionary effects of expansionary policies on the poor living in America will be discussed. The main thesis of the study is that the poor living in the United States benefited less from expansionary monetary policies than either financial sector or the US economy as a whole. When discussing the thesis of the study both employed and unemployed poor will be discussed. Therefore, it will be questioned that the decrease in the unemployment rate is the indicator of the fight against poverty.Indicators such as indices and interest rates in the financial markets, and indicators such as growth rates and unemployment rates in the overall economy are regarded as essential indicators but as for poverty it’s hard to find such regarded indicators. Unfortunately, there are not too many statistics about the poor living in the United States in the reports of the international organizations. Thus the main trouble of the study is that international comparisons are almost impossible. Therefore, various indicators produced by the U.S. government agencies of various indicators will be used in this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-193
Author(s):  
Charleen C McNeill ◽  
Cristina Richie ◽  
Danita Alfred

Background: Since 2010, the United States has experienced 228 disasters, affecting over 86 million people. Because of population shifts, the growing number of people living with chronic conditions or disabilities, and the growing number of older citizens living independently, access and service gaps often exist for those without money or other transferable resources. There is a lack of evidence regarding individual community members’ capacity to prepare for emergencies. Research objective: The purpose of this study is to highlight participant experiences in becoming better prepared for emergencies and provide insight from a social justice perspective. Research design: This is a descriptive qualitative study, staying very close to the data as an end product rather than a beginning for interpretation. Participants and research context: A total of 13 low-income, uninsured, or under-insured attendees at a medical outreach clinic were interviewed. Ethical considerations: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from the University of Texas at Tyler. Findings: Four themes emerged from the interview data: (a) evaluation of the emergency-preparedness education, (b) making emergency plans, (c) challenges in preparing for emergencies, and (d) facilitators of emergency preparedness. Discussion: Identifying the potential challenges to individual emergency preparedness among vulnerable populations is the first step in overcoming them. The capacity to comply with such measures, especially the ability of those with limited incomes and other vulnerable populations, must be considered. Conclusion: Synchronized, well-ordered assistance will close gaps in recovery and enhance efficiency in pre- and post-event aid. Theoretically, doing so will promote engaged and resilient members of society who are better able to withstand adverse events. The importance of the relationship between individual preparedness levels and the resiliency of nations supports the social justice imperative to address the needs of vulnerable populations in the mitigation and planning phase of the emergency management cycle.


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