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Disaster Planning Is No Accident

Although the events of 9-11 made the need to be prepared for disasters evident to most Americans, disaster preparedness has always been a priority at Loyola University Medical Center. Only weeks after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. one year ago, Chicago-area health-care providers were practicing their response to a large-scale disaster. These disaster drills had been planned long before terrorist attacks, but the need for disaster planning was felt a bit more acutely that day by everyone involved.  

Disaster planning has been part of the routine business of hospitals for decades. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires hospitals to have disaster plans in place and perform at least two practice drills each year.  

The scenario for the drill last fall was a train wreck with a hazardous chemical spill. Volunteers playing crash victims were made up with fake blood, artificial vomit, chicken bones and other cosmetic tricks and given instructions on how to act out their injuries. A command post at the accident scene coordinated with area hospitals to determine their available beds and directed ambulances accordingly. At Loyola, staff rushed to prepare for a large influx of patients by mobilizing employees, ancillary exam space and necessary supplies.

An emergency management committee led by emergency medicine specialist Katherine Martens, M.D., maps out plans for how Loyola will respond to a wide variety of incidents, such as a hazardous materials spill, a natural disaster, a plane crash or even a nuclear, biological or chemical weapons attack. Practice drills may be confined within the hospital, coordinated with other Chicago-area hospitals or even coordinated regionally. Regional "table top" drills include representatives from hospitals, law enforcement, public health, public relations and other areas that would be needed in the response to a large-scale disaster.

To organize emergency response statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health has divided the state into 11 regions. Because of its capabilities in emergency medicine and trauma, Loyola is designated as the lead hospital among 13 hospitals in Region 8. As such, medical center staff develops and oversees regional disaster response plans and coordinates resources during a disaster. Through this regional network, the chief of emergency medical services for the State of Illinois was able to calculate within two hours of the Sept. 11 tragedy the hospital bed availability and blood supply statewide.  

"The challenge of disaster planning is that you can't predict what you'll need for every situation. A lot of it has to do with the ability to be flexible," said Mark Cichon, D.O., director of emergency medical services at LUHS. That is the purpose of regular practice drills. During tabletop drills, the players walk through various scenarios, discussing how they will be handled and what resources will be used. "We are constantly refining the plans, drilling and re-drilling," said Cichon. "The goal is to provide a seamless response to disaster. The hope is never have to implement the plan. The reality is that we are prepared."

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