Hospitals Aren't Ready for Crises Despite Massive Investment

In the seven years since 9/11, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has handed out almost $4 billion to state and local hospitals to help them prepare for a mass casualty event. But experts say hospitals still aren’t ready to handle that kind of patient surge.

In an article on the Government Technology website, Andy Opsahl says a number of emergency experts say emergency rooms and emergency medical services (EMS) would not be able to handle the event because they are already overcrowded and have trouble coordinating with their inpatient wards.

“Hospital and EMS officials cite a lack of funding as one of their problems, despite the billions already spent,” Opsahl says. “The paramount struggle, however, appears to be a lack of coordination between the different entities of emergency management operations. Emergency medicine experts are advocating strategies for breaking medical emergency response silos and say reorganization of emergency departments and EMS could better prepare them for mass casualty events. “

Dr. Amy Kaji, director of the Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s Disaster Resource Center, told Opsahl that emergency patients already clog ERs most days because hospitals don't have enough nurse ward beds.

But Dr. Rex Archer, director of health for Kansas City, Mo., told Opsahl he thinks hospital capacity shortages during mass casualty events is an overblown concern. Archer insists that hospitals could simply route patients to nearby hospitals and cancel elective surgeries to free up space during an emergency.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.govtech.com/gt/400715?topic=290167