Overview of EMSHG and the 4th Mission

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Overview of EMSHG and the 4th Mission

• Emergency Management Strategic Healthcare Group
• Veterans Health Administration
• Department of Veterans Affairs

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Department of Veterans Affairs

• Cabinet Level Department
• Veterans Benefits Administration
• National Cemetery System
• Veterans Health Administration

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VHA Missions

• Medical Care
• Teaching
• Research
• Emergency Management
• EMSHG is executive agent for 4th mission

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VHAs Fourth Mission(Emergency Management
Functions)

• VA Contingencies
• DoD Contingencies
• National Disaster Medical System
• Federal (National) Response Plan
• Radiological Emergencies
• Continuity of Government/Operations

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VHA EMSHGEmergency Management Mission

• EMSHG provides Comprehensive Emergency
  Management services to the Department of Veterans
  Affairs, coordinates medical back-up to the
  Department of Defense, and assists the public via
  the National Disaster Medical System and the
  Federal Response Plan

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EMSHG Strategic GoalsSeven for Success

• I. Improve effectiveness of VISN-VHA-VA
  comprehensive emergency management programs
• II. Ensure VA readiness to provide medical
  support for DoD contingencies
• III. Fulfill VA NDMS responsibilities

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EMSHG Strategic GoalsSeven for Success

• IV. Lead VHA in the establishment of emergency
  management standards and become a benchmark
  organization for emergency management and health
  care
• V. Contribute to the emergency management
  knowledge base and improve emergency management
  education and training

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EMSHG Strategic GoalsSeven for Success

• VI. Deliver appropriate, timely and effective
  disaster response and recovery services
• VII. Maximize EMSHG performance and
  organizational efficiency

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EMSHG Organization Chart
Chief Consultant (T-38) Executive
Assistant (GS-11)
Director CEM
(T-38/GS-15) Program Specialist
(GS-11)
Planning Specialist (GS-14)
Administrative Officer
(GS-14) Computer/Telecom Spec. (GS-13) Budget
Analyst (GS-12)
Operations Specialist (GS-14)
Western District Manager (GS-14) Program
Specialist (GS-9)
Eastern District Manager (GS-14) Program
Specialist (GS-9)
Central District Manager ( GS-14) Program
Specialist (GS-9)
Exercise/Training Specialist (GS-14)
Eastern District (8 VISNs) 14 Area Emergency
Managers (GS-13) 8 Management
Assistants (GS-7)
Western District (6 VISNs) 9 Area Emergency
Managers (GS-13) 6 Management Assistants
(GS-7)
Central District (8 VISNs) 14 Area Emergency
Managers (GS-13) 8 Management
Assistants (GS-7)

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VA Contingencies

• Area Emergency Managers (37)
• VAMC Emergency Management Plans
• All-hazards
• Comprehensive Emergency Management

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VHA ContingenciesEM Program Guidebook

• Ensure system-wide compliance with JCAHO EM
  standards
• Provide facilities and VISNs with uniform,
  practical approach to EM program development,
  implementation and evaluation
• Provide samplebest practices and templates that
  can be modified to fit local needs

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Medical Care Assets

• 158 hospitals
• gt 800 ambulatory care clinics
• 132 nursing homes
• 40 domiciliaries
• 73 home care programs
• 206 counseling centers

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Veterans Health Administration 21 Veterans
Integrated Service Networks
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Personnel Assets

• gt 15,000 physicians and gt 1,000 dentists
• gt 55,000 nurses
• gt 4,500 pharmacists
• gt 130,000 other staff
• Shift to ambulatory services/fewer beds
• Reservists

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Emergency Management

• Inherent, line responsibility
• Under Secretary for Health
• Deputy Under Secretary for Operations and
  Management
• VISN Directors (21)
• Facility Directors (163)
• Emergency Management Strategic Healthcare Group
• Support to VISNs (Service Support Agreements)
• Support to Headquarters, Department, and External
  Agencies

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DoD Contingencies

• Public Law 97-174
• Primary backup to military health care systems
  during war or other emergencies
• Primary Receiving Centers (65)
• Secondary Support Centers (66)
• Installation Support Centers (54)
• Bed availability

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NDMS

• 1984 interagency agreement
• VA, DoD, HHS, DHS/FEMA
• Medical Response
• Evacuation
• Definitive Care (civilian hospital MOUs)
• 1800 hospitals, 43 VA and 23 DoD FCCs
• PL 107-188 (HR 3448)
• Public Health Security and Bioterrorism
  Preparedness and Response Act of 2002
• Establishes NDMS in statute

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Federal Response Plan

• Public Law 93-288 (plus amendments)
• FEMA promulgated the FRP in 1992
• Updated in 1999 and 2003
• National Response Plan under development
• VA may be tasked for
• engineering services
• mass care and sheltering
• resource support
• health and medical

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ESF 8 Health and Medical Services

• Lead Federal Agency
• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Support Agencies
• USDA, DOD, DOE, DOJ, DOT, VA, AID, ARC, EPA,
  FEMA, GSA, NCS, and USPS
• Mission
• Coordinate Federal assistance to supplement State
  and local resources in response to public health
  and medical care needs following a major disaster
  or emergency

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Deployments

• All major presidentially declared disasters
• e.g. Hurricanes Andrew, Floyd, Northridge
  Earthquake, 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
• On-site support to high-threat events
• e.g. NATO 50, Olympics, Inauguration, Papal
  Visit, Super Bowl

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FRP Deployments

• gt 1,000 VHA clinical personnel
• Large amounts of medical supplies
• Since Hurricane Andrew, every major domestic
  disaster

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Radiological Emergencies

• EO 12657
• Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan
  (FRERP)
• Nuclear power plants
• Accidents involving radiological injuries

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Continuity of GovernmentContinuity of Operations

• EO 12656
• PDD 67
• VA-specific relocation site

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VAMC WMD Preparedness

• Comprehensive Emergency Management (VHA Handbook
  0320.2)
• Domestic Preparedness Training (SBCCOM)
• Exercises and Training
• EM Program Guidebook
• JCAHO Emergency Management Standards
• 13 to 5 Bed Categories

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Pharmaceutical Cache Support

• Strategic National Stockpile
• National Medical Response Teams
• Special Events Cache
• Congressional Cache
• MMRS Caches
• VAMC Caches

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VA Teams

• Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System
  (DEMPS)
• Emergency Medical Response Team (EMRT)
• Medical Emergency Radiological Response Team
  (MERRT)

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DEMPS(Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel
System)

• Nationwide registry
• Full-time VA employees
• Volunteers for deployments
• Currently being populated

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DEMPS(Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel
System)

• Professional qualifications
• Job skills
• All types of disasters
• Includes specialized WMD training

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EMRT(Emergency Medical Response Team)

• VA internal (VISN asset)
• 80 member multidisciplinary team
• Medical, logistic, admin, engineering
• Members could augment federal response under FRP
  (ESF 8)

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EMRT(Emergency Medical Response Team)

• Not self-sustaining
• WMD not primary mission/focus
• Some members trained in WMD, decon

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MERRT(Medical Emergency Radiological Response
Team)

• Federal asset (FEMA)
• EO 12657
• Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan

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MERRT(Medical Emergency Radiological Response
Team)

• 25 member team
• Physicians, radiologists, health physicists
• Deployed to site in 24 hours
• Self-sufficient

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MERRT(Medical Emergency Radiological Response
Team)

• Not a first responder
• Supplement medical care at a hospital
• Technical advice
• Decon
• Radiological monitoring

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EMSHG TAC

• Technical Advisory Committee
• Multidisciplinary
• Internal external experts
• Health Care Facility WMD Preparedness
• Task Forces

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EMSHG TAC Task Forces

• Organizational Support
• Basic Training
• Equipment and Supplies/Decon/PPE
• Accessing Stockpiles
• Surveillance

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EMSHG TAC Task Forces

• Quarantine
• VAs Role in the Local Community
• Research and Assessment
• Telemedicine
• Emergency Management Academy

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Emergency Management Academy

• EMSHG/EES Partnership
• System-wide Web-based and Video Teleconference
  Training
• VA niche
• Emergency Management in Health Care

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Office of Policy, Planning, and Preparedness

• Emphasis by Secretary on VA Role in Homeland
  Security
• HR 3253
• 4 Emergency Preparedness Centers

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VHA

• Large, integrated health care system
• Protect veterans care
• Role in federal response
• Federal presence in local communities

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Additional Information

• www.va.gov/EMSHG