Public Health Practices

Five southern states built a network that increased regional capacity for pediatric care following a disaster.

Philadelphia's Pandemic Influenza Planning Guidance for Healthcare Institutions addresses the needs and situations that may be experienced by hospitals during a pandemic.

The Rapid Patient Discharge Tool (RPDT) was developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to assist hospital administrators and emergency managers during unexpected increases in patient volume. The tool provides adaptable plans for rapid patient discharge based on promising bed surge capacity practices. It involves two sections: planning and response.

The Surge Capacity Guidelines and Templates provide a broad and interconnected approach to managing patient overload in hospitals, medical clinics, and alternate care sites. The overall structure of each document is similar, yet each focuses on specific areas that are germane to each response strategy.

A concept of operations for setting up alternate care sites details the plan for establishing Influenza Special Care Units (ISCUs) in Massachusetts. The documents indicate that hospitals should collaborate and develop one ISCU for a cluster of hospitals in every region. These documents constitute an option for a local public health agency, a state health department or even private sector health services, because they provide a concept of operations for developing alternate care statewide.

The Acute Care Services Tools provide the following: 1) a triage protocol for patients who may need critical care; 2) an assessment form and triage protocols for patients who may have pandemic influenza; 3) a hospital admission form for influenza patients; and 4) standing admission orders for influenza patients. The triage protocol outlines inclusion and exclusion criteria for evaluating patients who are being considered for critical care.

Shuttered hospitals possess the structural attributes that may allow them to provide better care, as opposed to other proposed alternate care sites within a community. This lengthy guidance describes the rationale and strategies for re-opening shuttered hospitals to enhance medical surge capacity in a community.