Welcome to Bluffton Regional Medical Center

Emergency Operations Plan - Program Management

HAZARD VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS
Bluffton Regional Medical Center identifies the potential hazards, threats, and adverse events and assesses the impact on the care, treatment, and services sustained during an emergency. The assessment is a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) which is designed to assist in gaining a realistic understanding of the vulnerabilities and to help focus the resources and planning efforts. The community's and region's HVA assessments will also be an aid in the assessment for the organization. A list of priority concerns will be developed from the HVA and are evaluated annually. The HVA will include the ability to provide services, the likelihood of those events occurring, and the consequences of those events. Form I is the HVA assessment tool to use. The hospital's HVA is reviewed annually by the LEPC.

The Environment of Care Committee will develop appropriate specific emergency response plans based on priorities established as part of the Hazard Vulnerability Analysis. Each Emergency Response Plan will address the four phases of emergency management activities:

MITIGATION - Activities designed to reduce the risk of and potential damage due to an emergency (i. e., the installation of stand by or redundant equipment, training).

PREPAREDNESS - Activities that will organize and mobilize essential resources (i. e., plan-writing, employee education, preparation with outside agencies, acquiring and maintaining critical supplies).

RESPONSE - Activities the hospital undertakes to respond to disruptive events. The actions are designed with strategies and actions to be activated during the emergency (i. e., control, warnings, and evacuations).

RECOVERY - Activities the hospital undertakes to return the facility to complete business operations.  Short-term actions assess damage and return vital life-support operations to minimum operating standards.  Long-term focus on returning all hospital operations back to normal or an improved state of affairs.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Bluffton Regional Medical Center has established a relationship with the community.  In conjunction with the community, priorities have been set among the potential emergencies identified in the hazard vulnerability analysis.  The communication has been established on what the needs and vulnerabilities are for Bluffton Regional Medical Center  It has identified the capabilities that the community can contribute to aid in meeting the needs of the facility. Bluffton Regional Medical Center is a major healthcare facility in the community.  During a disaster, the hospital's role within the community is to care for sick and/or wounded individuals who may present for treatment.  The facility and community are involved through:

Local emergency management meetings

Regional hospital council meetings

State meetings

INVENTORY & MONITORING OF ASSETS & RESOURCES
The Bluffton Regional Medical Center has identified and documented the assets and resources that are available on-site and/or elsewhere prior to an incident.  Forms II includes the assets and resources such as:

1.Personal protective equipment (PPE)
2.Water
3.Fuel
4.Staffing
5.Medical, surgical, & pharmaceutical supplies available

The Corporate Disaster Plan provides processes for the support of assets and resources in an emergency.

Par Level
There have been par levels set for this inventory to assure availability during an emergency. A par level is a quantity that represents a midpoint between extremes on a scale of valuation. A separate inventory with stocked additional supplies stored at the North Campus is kept in the Logistics packet (NIMS Element 15).

During the emergency, a process has been put into place under the Logistics Chief that will monitor the quantities of  assets and resources. This information will be communicated through the HICS within the facility and to those within the community who need to know.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207