Disaster Preparedness
Disasters such as storms, floods, fires, major traffic accidents, hazardous material spills and other natural and man-made events can result in serious injuries that require immediate attention. Even a particularly virulant flu strain, such as H1N1, may send scores of people to hospital emergency departments. Arizona's hospitals develop and practice detailed disaster plans that prepare them to deliver emergency medical treatment to disaster victims as rapidly and efficiently as possible.
This section includes the most up-to-date news, regulations and policy regarding hospital disaster preparedness. It includes information on the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance, the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), and volunteer activities, such as the Medical Reserve Corp and the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Personnel.
Clinical Guidance and Other Information Related to 2009 H1N1 Influenza
Click here for clinician guidance and other information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here for clinician guidance, regulatory guidance and other documents from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Click here for information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the federal declaration and related guidance.
Click here for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s compliance directive for occupational exposure risk to 2009 H1N1 Influenza.
Central Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER-Central)
AzCHER-Central is a partnership of hospitals and other healthcare stakeholders located in central Arizona, the goal of which is to unify the management capability of the region’s healthcare system if the normal day-to-day operations or standard operating procedures of health system are overwhelmed and disaster operations become necessary.
Click here for an overview of AzCHER-Central, including committee duties and responsibilities.
Click here for AzCHER-Central’s organizational chart.
Click here for correspondence sent to hospital administrators regarding the formation of AzCHER-Central.
Coming soon: Revised Central Region Memorandum of Understanding
Links to Other Websites
Click here to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here to visit the National Incident Management System Resource Center.
Click here for information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Emergency Preparedness.
Click here to visit the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness. This site includes information on the state’s pandemic and other emergency response plans.