Every winter the same conversation I am sure happens at various hospitals that are south of the Mason Dixon but north enough to get a little snow. ‘Do we provide rides via four wheel drive vehicles to employees or not? At my system we call it the Snow Plan. So let’s talk about the struggles that face a Health Care EM guy during this:
Community
Now I am sure colleagues and individuals that live in areas that a white Christmas is the norm think we are nuts, but this is an issue in some of these areas like central North Carolina where snow is not a way of life. When it snows an inch and the roads are covered here is what happens in the public:
|
|
Public Works Infrastructure / Resources
Some of that is in jest but seriously it is honestly a culture change here. I understand this is foreign to so many folks. I have spent time in the NE during winter and they all think this is crazy but the fact of the matter is that a lot of places do not have the infrastructure or resources to handle snow. Most public works in these areas do not have enough snow plows and snow removal equipment to clear anything more than primary roads. So it can be days before secondary and tertiary roads are even addressed. If it is late in the winter season some agencies can even run out of funding and supplies like salt/brine before the winter is over.
Impact on a Hospital
Even though most Health Care Emergency Managers do not necessarily list snow storm at the top their HVA (Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis) it is an event that can impact almost every facet of operations. It is one of the few events that can affect:
- The community by impacting transportation and basic service provision
- Logistics by stopping deliveries and shutting down transportation networking.
- Operations by impeding staff ability to get to work if public transportation shuts down and the streets are impassable.
- Casualty Creation one wreck or power outage in a key area can create individuals needing care or shelter.
A good example of this is the snow storm that hit the Midwest a few years back when supplies had to be airlifted to facilities and staff were living at hospitals.
The reason for the Snow Plan is driven hugely by staffing but is also a big morale boost. Last year we activated the snow plan two times with total accumulations greater than 6 inches both times. A command system was put in place and a process is implemented for ride requests and then dispatching of drivers to get key staff. A story that sticks out in my mind is not how we got in a key member to save a life but happened when I snuck out of the coordination center and drove to pick up employees.
I was dispatched to get a food service worker. When I arrived he hopped through the snow to get in the truck and greeted me with a small and a thank you. He looked at me and I think he was a little disappointed though. He told me ‘Yesterday our CEO picked me up, what is your role at the hospital?’ I explained that I was the “Disaster Guy” and he nodded his head understandingly. He was so thrilled yesterday that the CEO too the time to come and get him. He explained to me that ‘normally he rides the bus to work but our public transit service had been on snow route and the closest stop was over a mile away.’
Before the experience I was fairly well decided that we needed to revisit the Snow Plan and turn it into a plan of last resort but after my time with our dietary employee I was reminded that it is not all about the staffing matrix and provision of care but about the service you need to provide to your employees.
