GPH-GU 5150 Emergency Preparedness for Healthcare Organizations
Class Schedule: Asynchronous, On-line course
Semester and Year: Summer, Term I, 2025
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The healthcare system is uniquely challenged by large-scale disasters, which are on the increase in the United States and throughout the world. Every setting of healthcare, from hospitals to outpatient clinics may be affected by acute emergencies and disaster events. Therefore, as public health professionals, healthcare professionals, emergency managers, or other professionals in charge of ensuring a safe patient care environment, it is essential to become familiar with the current disaster management paradigm (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) as it pertains to the healthcare environment. This course is designed to provide students with disaster management capabilities that will have applicability in their current or future employment.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND COURSE COMPONENT
*Please note, this course is designed to meet leading models of Core Competencies of Emergency Management in Healthcare: such ashttps://www.calhospitalprepare.org/core-competencies
The most up to date information (links etc.) will always be on the course website
Learning Objective
By the end of this course, students should be able to….
(1). Define and characterize different types of major emergency events and incidents of concern to healthcare facilities.
Course Component
Lecture, Readings/Viewings, Activities/Exercises from Module 1 (Introduction to Healthcare Emergencies and Disasters)
Assessments:
(1) Post your discussion on the guest Interview (NYU Office of Public Safety Leadership) on the topic: “Overview of the NYU Office of Emergency Management and Communications.”
(2) Post your reflection on guest interview (Dr. Jackie Merrill, Professor, Columbia School of Nursing) regarding her statement - “Every public health worker is, in fact, an emergency responder.”
(3) Prepare and submit a Case Study Report based on the sample cases in your Case Study Inventory or you may select one of your own choosing.
(4) Prepare and submit your Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) [or Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (HVA)]
(5) Final Plan, FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(2). Develop a Healthcare Disaster Management Organizational Structure and Plan.
Course Component
Lecture, Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 2 (Overview of Healthcare Disaster Management Program Structure).
Assessments:
(1) Post your discussion on the guest Interview (Mr. Jake McCarty, President and CEO of Children’s Health of Northern California) on topic “Role of Leadership in Disaster Planning.”
(2) Post your discussion on the guest interview (Mr. David Miller, Director of Emergency Management, Mt. Sinai Health System) on building a “Culture of Preparedness”
(3) Prepare and submit your Base Plan for standard Generic Plans or if constructing a Hospital- JCAHO type plan you will prepare specific plan elements with the guidance of your instructor.
(4) Case Study report
(5) Final Plan, FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(3) Describe how the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment will be used to identify and prioritize structural and non-structural mitigation strategies.
Course Component
Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 3 (Mitigation of Healthcare Disasters).
Assessments:
(1) Post your discussion on guest Interviews (Mr. Kelly McKinney, Director, Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience, NYU Langone Health on the topic of “Challenges to Mitigation, structural and non-structural.”
(2) Post you refection on guest Interview (Alex Resnick, Associate Director, Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience, Manhattan Region, NYU Langone Health.) on what he considers as greatest challenges ).
(3) Prepare and submit your Case Study Presentation
(4) Preparation of CONOPS Section of Final Plan, FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(4) Describe operationalizing the healthcare disaster plan, including Hospital Incident Command Structure; leadership designation and succession planning; designating a Command Center; organization of the Emergency Management Committee; planning for vulnerable patient populations (children, the elderly, pregnant women, disabled, non-English speaking, etc.); and personal and professional preparedness.
Course Component
Lecture, Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 4 (Preparedness Strategies for Healthcare Disasters).
Assessment:
(1) Post your discussion on guest interviews (Mr. Lewis Kraus, Ms. Jan Garrett, Pacific ADA Center, Oakland, Ca. and Dr. Kris Qureshi, Professor, University of Hawaii, School of Nursing)) on various “Strategies for Effective Disaster Management.”
(2) Training Plan Annex
(3) Post your discussion on the prepared case study topic “Hurricane Katrina: Memorial Hospital- Preparedness Failure for Vulnerable Hospitalized Patients.”
(4) Final Plan; FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(5) Analyze (compare and contrast) key response strategies for: shelter in place, evacuation (and transportation), mass casualty management and triage, and shelter of community members.
Course Component
Lecture, Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 5 (Response to Healthcare Disasters).
Assessment:
(1) Post your discussion on guest Interviews (Dr. Dario Gonzalez, Associate Medical Director, Fire Department of New York, Division 2 - Medical Director, and USAR Medical Team Leader, Mr. Kelly McKinney, Director, Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience, NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Vicki Raveis, Professor, NYU, College of Dentistry) on the topic of “Coordination of Effort During Healthcare Disaster Response.”
(2) Prepare a brief alert for an event of your choice. Post and discuss at least one other student’s postings.
(3) Prepare and submit your Emergency Management Committee Document (Plan element #16), Training Plan (Plan element #17). Emergency Communications Document (Plan element # 18), and Decision Tree for determining Evacuation vs. Shelter in Place and location of alternate care sites and/or or shelters (Plan element #19).
(4) Final Plan; FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(6) Describe the key stages of recovery, including personnel recovery, non-personnel infrastructure recovery, business systems recovery, community recovery.
Course Component
Lecture, Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 6 (Recovery from Healthcare Disasters).
Assessment:
(1) Post your discussion on guest Interviews (Mr. Dennis Manley, Chief Nursing Officer, Mercy Hospitals Joplin and Carthage and Mr. Peter Miller, Survivor, WTC attack) on the topic of “Recovery Strategies.”
(2) Final Plan; FEMA certification training.
Learning Objective
(7) Define and discuss the legal, ethical, and psychological issues related to healthcare disaster response and recovery (including mass causalities, mass fatalities, and patient and staff morbidity and mortality).
Course Component
Lecture, Readings and Activities/Exercises from Module 7 (Ethical, Legal, and Psychological Aspects of Healthcare Disasters)
Assessment:
(1) Post your discussion on the guest Interview (Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Public Health Officer, Riverside, California) on the topic of “Crisis Care Standards the ethics of the principle of ‘all lives having an equal claim’.”
(2) Post your reflection in the Forum on the guest Interview (Dr. Fred Matzner, Trauma Psychiatrist) on the topic of “Psychological Impact of Disaster on Staff, Patients, and Community.”
(3) Final Plan; FEMA training.
PRE-REQUISITES:
None. This course is designed for MPH or equivalent students or advanced education students (nursing doctoral, medicine, veterinary, management etc.).
Course Requirements and Expectations:
Students are expected to complete all required course activities and to meet assigned due dates. This is a hands-on experiential, on-line course; as such, all course work is completed at the course website on NYU classes. Students are expected to submit all assignments, to prepare and post various exercises, and to comment on fellow-classmates posts. The Instructor is available for one- on-one or team meetings (by phone, or zoom, WebEx, or in-person, if feasible). Microphone/headset for your computer is helpful.
Course Overview
Over a 7-week term, students will explore the topic of Healthcare Disaster Management. Material is organized into 7 learning modules over the 7-week term period. Students will meet in small groups with the instructor (by zoom) a few days before the course begins to review the course site and to identify a healthcare organization as a potential collaborating partner in the preparation of the Disaster Plan- we will assist in finding a suitable organization. Students will work in small team on a plan chosen from a prepared list of potential disaster events. Team Captains will be identified (students may volunteer), preferably one that is needed by a healthcare organization. Dr. Gershon can facilitate the formation of teams. Students will work on a disaster specific healthcare plan. Students will be provided sample plans. Students will also complete and Intro form. and prepare and post (by the first day of classes) a short (2-3-min) video introducing themselves to their fellow classmates. Each week, students will complete various exercises that are designed to meet the course learning objectives and to help students develop various public health and disaster preparedness competencies. Further details of all assignments will be provided within the online course, but are summarized below.
Please note, the Instructor, Dr. Gershon, and the CAs work closely and individually with each student (by email, phone or zoom), reviewing and commenting on drafts of all key work products (case studies, Plan elements, presentations, etc.). These work products can be submitted for
review before final submission and grading. Therefore, students get extensive feedback before work products are graded. Exceptional course products are published in our online Student Disaster Journal.