Workforce Planning: Developing and Maintaining for National Health Security

Abstract

Background: Hospitals day to day staffing needs are tremendously compromised in the care of patients compounded by a disaster. An All Hazards Scalable Medical Surge Model provides a competent skilled workforce in a timely manner to survive a medical surge at the federal, state, and local capacity and capability for National Health Security.

Objective:  To provide an innovative approach to reduce the time necessary to activate designated medical personnel in response to a public health emergency meeting surge capacity and capability.

PICOT Question: For the patient population and mass influx of disaster related patients, does an All Hazards Scalable Medical Surge Model compared to day to day practice provide the appropriate and timely clinical level of care; reducing the risk of morbidity and mortality in response to a catastrophic incident?

Implementation Process: A comprehensive literature review was conducted of databases: Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, using key words “disasters, preparedness, response, medical surge”.  A thorough review of real world examples, after action reports, training of tabletop, functional, full scale exercises, and the use of the All Hazards Scalable Medical Surge Model was examined.

Result: Progress has been made although Ready or Not Scores provided by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CDC, and WHO continue to fluctuate.

Implications: The Healthcare workforce must be able to scale up to surge capacity and capability for all hazards and conditions requiring a medical surge.

Recommendations/Conclusions: Additional research and emergency preparedness is needed to contribute to a community’s resilience by incorporating an All Hazards Scalable Medical Surge Model.