The team, led by Emergency Manager Connie Kraft, explained how a hospital emergency management team holds a great deal of responsibility and wears many hats. Working closely with local governmental agencies to develop incident responses to a myriad of emergent scenarios, resources are coordinated and shared, and after-action plans are generated and executed to continually improve performance.
Within the hospital, they are responsible for the strategic vision for all emergency management prevention, response and recovery efforts, and working closely with leadership and key stakeholders. The emergency management team directs disaster responses and oversees crisis management for the hospital. This process involves the planning, coordination and updates for all aspects of emergency management and operations plans for both employees and patients.
These vital team members gather the information needed to develop, drill and execute emergency preparedness plans for Stony Brook Medicine. The goal of preparedness plans is to preserve life, while minimizing damages and complications and proactively manage emerging events during an emergency. These plans outline operating procedures to be used in response to different types of incidents.
A thorough plan prepares for and responds to the needs of emergency victims. Besides focusing on local emergency management needs, the Stony Brook Medicine Emergency Management team also tends to broad-based regional needs by leading the Hospital Preparedness Program, the Metropolitan Area Regional Office (MARO), the Regional Training Center for a vast geographic span and serves as the clinical lead program for Suffolk County emergency preparedness.
Connie began her career as an ED trauma nurse and has worked in the emergency management field for numerous years while teaching and planning for potential pandemics. She is a board certified National Disaster Healthcare Professional. Connie shared that even with her background, and the knowledge that this type of event could happen, she never expected to experience anything like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in her lifetime.
Although the experience has been uncertain at times, Connie said she is extremely proud of the way her team, and the entire Stony Brook Medicine team, has pulled together to respond to this crisis. She is also professionally satisfied to utilize the opportunity to operationalize years of training and expertise. She stresses the importance of staff being trained in the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) in order to ensure a coordinated response to emergency incidents.
Kevin O’Hara, MS, NRP, CHEP, Senior Staff Assistant, shared that emergency management is a calling for him. He came to SBUH as a second career, after serving as a firefighter and a paramedic. He noted that the guiding principle of emergency management is to “prepare for things that you hope will never happen.”
One aspect of his role that he enjoys most is working with staff throughout the hospital. Kevin is responsible for training new employees on disaster preparedness, including Hazmat awareness, decontamination and command center operations. Training and preparedness are a critical part of emergency management; planning, training, communicating, and updating the hospital’s emergency response plans are part of the department’s responsibilities.
The team plans and executes all emergency operations plan (EOP) training and exercise events. Communication with all hospital staff is paramount to ensure employees are properly educated and prepared in the event of a disaster.
Kevin also shared how grateful he is to be part of such an amazing team who all pitch in to make sure the work is done, working side by side in a supportive fashion. He is grateful to be part of an organization in which leadership understands and values the role emergency management plays in a complex environment.
Kevin Reilly, MEP, NREMT, Regional Training Coordinator, MARO Regional Training Center, joined SBUH six months ago and is the newest member of the team. His first day on the job was March 4, and just three days later, on March 7, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York State as a result of the increasing spread of the Coronavirus. His friends joked and stated that he had bad timing while starting a new job in emergency management at a large and complex hospital, but he believes the timing was perfect, as being on the frontline managing this pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Times of crisis also have the added benefit of bringing everyone together, and he noted that it has been very rewarding to be a part of such a cohesive team. He credits his father, who said, “It’s a privilege to participate in anything bigger than yourself,” for his interest in making emergency management a career.
Kerry Scribner, TH Staff Assistant, Emergency Management Department, MARO Regional Training Center, is another vital member of the emergency management team, and worked behind the scenes with the Purchasing department to ensure that all supply needs were met. She was described as the glue that holds the team together. Kerry described her service to the department as an honor to be a part of a highly dedicated and focused team.
It was my privilege to spend some time with this small, yet impactful team with a large scope of work. Continuous learning is a necessity to keep up with new emergency management developments in the healthcare industry. Attending events and conferences is important for hospital emergency managers to stay up to date with information and learn best practices from peers. Our SBUH team is on the forefront in this regard, as our annual disaster preparation exercise has been called the gold standard by Homeland Security, and SBUH’s videos are used to train first responders throughout New York State.
I am gratified that the pandemic has been able to shine a light on the important work that our emergency preparedness team provides for our community. From an emergency preparedness perspective, there have been several lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. It has taught us that there is no one-size-fits-all emergency management plan – each one needs to be customized and adjusted frequently.
Our Emergency Management team ensures that rather than having a plan just to check a regulatory box, it is an integrated part of our operational strategy to ensure safety for our patients, families, staff, faculty and the community at large.
“Emergency Management is a 24/7 calling,” Connie said. “What we do makes a difference as our hard work pays off in the hour of need.”
On behalf of the Stony Brook Medicine family, we thank you for your service.
Carol
