A group of the IGP students find a more suitable place to discuss an ethical case study at the retreat last week.(Photos by Jena Briggs)
Members of the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center disaster committee will attend the annual National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) conference in Seattle, Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, to help other hospitals learn to better prepare for disasters.
Committe members Dr. Andrea Bracikowski, Becky Keck and Jerry Jones have prepared a poster presentation, “A Partnership in Meeting the Challenges of Disaster Planning.” Keck and comittee members Pam Hoffner and Susan Johnson will attend the conference.
The presentation includes how Vanderbilt has established relationships with local and national emergency agencies in preparing for and responding to disasters. Vanderbilt has established a community-wide biological response plan and is currently working on plans that will address chemical and nuclear terrorist threats.
“The challenge was to develop a readiness program for disaster response within Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and partner with others who have the same disaster response needs,” Keck said. “This challenge carried over in developing and planning a new emergency department for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.”
Keck said the disaster response plan is based on the nationally recognized Incident Command System (ICS) and meets all requirements of local, state, federal and JCAHO regulations.
“The plan provides administrators and managers with a ‘toolbox’ on disaster management,” she explained.