The Center for Health Affairs Participates in NDMS Exercise and Hosts NEO Healthcare Coalition Conference
The month of June was packed with emergency preparedness work, as The Center held its annual conference for the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition and participated in the two-day full-scale National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) exercise.
On June 27 and 28, the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management oversaw the NDMS exercise at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, which simulated a federally declared disaster. Providing first responders with the opportunity to practice their life saving skills and emergency management practices, the exercise is essential preparation for the proper management of a mass casualty disaster response.
The first day of the exercise consisted of extensive planning and coordination with area hospitals to determine which locations had available beds and confirm transportation details for incoming patients. This influx of patients into the healthcare system across the region was coordinated by the NEO Healthcare Coalition and The Center for Health Affairs’ Program Manager for Emergency Preparedness Tara Vargovich and Senior Specialist for Emergency Preparedness Colin Johnson.
In collaboration with Northeast Central Ohio (NECO) region, and as members of the planning team that helped develop the exercise, Vargovich and Johnson worked closely with Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management, Cleveland Department of Public Safety, Mayfield Heights Fire/EMS Committee, and the Veterans Affairs Administration.
Day two of the exercise began with the arrival of a C-130 Hercules plane filled with mannequins acting as injured patients. First responders boarded the plane to address the situation and begin a deboarding process. From there, for safety reasons, the mannequins were switched out with human volunteer patients once off the plane.
Each volunteer patient was equipped with their own triage tag, allowing emergency responders to learn the patient’s name, vitals and injuries. Responders then made the determination to either transport the patients by ambulance to local hospitals or take them directly into the airport for medical treatment.
“This exercise is a perfect opportunity for hospitals to test their mass casualty plans and determine if their current strategy will be effective in the event of the national disaster medical system being activated,” said Tara Vargovich.
There are two main scenarios where this activation would occur. The first would take place during a time of war in which a large number of injured soldiers needed to be flown in from overseas. Soldiers would then be sent to Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, but as the number of open beds diminishes, NDMS would coordinate between area hospitals to find any available beds and set up transportation. The second scenario for activation would occur when a large natural disaster, such as a hurricane, impacts a VA hospital. Those patients at risk would then be sent to Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport before being sent to nearby hospitals.
The Center for Health Affairs Hosts NEO Healthcare Coalition Annual Conference
Earlier in June, more than 100 people came together through the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition (HCC) Annual Conference as part of the ongoing regional disaster preparedness work by partner organizations in the region.
Hosted by The Center for Health Affairs, free of cost for attendees, and supported with grant funding as part of The Center’s emergency preparedness programming, this year’s event was held at Lakeland Community College and featured two tracks, specifically designed for mass casualty planning and organizational emergency preparedness.
“The conference continues to provide an opportunity to educate while also fostering and building relationships among attendees, including new and seasoned emergency managers,” said Vargovich. “We’re proud to have been able to create a forum for conversations on the best practices within the emergency management field and deliver sessions comprising of engaging presentations and panels to assist in the continuing education for emergency management professionals.”
The full day of programming included classes, trainings and panel discussions featuring an incredible roster of professionals from Ohio Department of Health, The MetroHealth System, Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management and more.
A few of the sessions and panels included:
- It’s Time for Emergency Managers to Prepare for the Fragility of Electric Power Grids – presented by Michael Lambert, an experienced emergency manager and a founding member of the F.B.I. sponsored InfraGard National Disaster Resiliency Council.
- Multi-County Responses: 2022 Ohio Turnpike Accident Review – presented by Lisa Kuelling, director of Sandusky County Emergency Management, and Tim Jonovich, director of Huron County Emergency Management.
- Panel Discussion: The Importance of Preparedness Planning in Response – consisting of preparedness professionals from Crawford County Department of Public Safety, Meadville Medical Center, Northwest Ambulance and Carington Park.
The conference began with the presentation of awards, given in recognition of Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition members who have made a significant and lasting impact on the field and practice of emergency preparedness or emergency management. The recipients were honored both for their contributions to the emergency preparedness program within their agency and for their efforts to engage the community to improve preparedness.
Presented by The Center for Health Affairs’ President & CEO Brian Lane and EMT and Paramedic Vince Guildone, this year’s awards honored:
- Anthony Markijohn, assistant principal of the Geneva School System
- Tom Vencl and the Geauga County Emergency Management Agency
- Heidi Scaife, Cuyahoga County Board of Health Emergency Preparedness coordinator
- Bryan Kloss, Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management’s EOC manager
- Ed Kopcak, Red Cross Volunteer Disaster Action Team manager
- Brandi Franklin, Carington Park administrator
- Anthony Tulino, Ashtabula Police Lieutenant
- Michael Trivisonno, Cleveland Division of Recreation’s Recreation Center manager
- Marek Owca, director, Office of Emergency Management for The MetroHealth System
About the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition
Spanning Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties, the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Coalition is open to all public entities — including not-for-profit entities and entities that receive Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) funding in the region. With the support of The Center for Health Affairs and the federal emergency preparedness grant, the Coalition’s goal is to enhance communication amongst organizations and to develop and implement best practices in preparation, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery as they pertain to emergent events that could adversely affect the Northeast Ohio healthcare delivery system.
