HEPI - Hospital Emergency Planning Initiative

[Chief100]

www.your4state.com - New Software Connects Emergency Responders to Hospital

New Software Connects Emergency Responders to Hospital
Reported by: Scott Hershberger
Monday, Jun 29, 2009 @05:40pm

FRANKLIN COUNTY, PA - It's called the "Hospital Emergency Planning Initiative,"
and officials say there's nothing else like it in the nation.

You might not know what "HEPI" means, but in an an emergency you'll probably
find out how it works.

"HEPI is about the initial notification of a healthcare system, that there's
been a call that needs a certain criteria, such as mass casualty, bombing, a
hazardous material situation," explained Vickie Negley, the director of safety
and emergency preparedness at Chambersburg Hospital.

Laptops have been installed in ambulances across Franklin County, giving
emergency crews immediate access to the hospital. EMS crews enter information
into the laptop program from your home. That goes directly to the hospital, so
you'll get better care when you arrive.

Emergency responders say the new technology might not only help save a person's
life. It will also make life easier for anyone who's using it.

"The time saving it will put in everybody's workload and the initiation of a
single-patient, let alone many patients into a hospital system. The electronic
sharing of information, minute by minute as an incident happens, will improve
the time frame in which patients can get care as they arrive at the hospital,"
said Doug Bitner, the president of the Franklin County Emergency Medical
Services Council.

Pennsylvania Congressman Bill Shuster helped secure federal funding to bring the
HEPI program to Franklin County. A future phase includes connecting 911
dispatchers to EMS responders.

[Chief100]

Disaster drill tests patient system
By JIM HOOK Senior writer


An emergency drill involving a shooting... (Courtesy/Letterkenny Army Depot) GREENE TOWNSHIP - Letterkenny Army Depot, Summit Health and local fire and ambulance companies tested a new patient tracking system during a disaster drill Wednesday.

The scenario: A man in a truck released dangerous chemicals and shot several people before he was stopped.

Emergency responders handled more than 20 patients. Some were shot. Some suffered from chemical burns. There were two or three fatalities.

"It had a cascading effect," said Matthew Fenicle, physical security specialist at Letterkenny. "We pretty much tested every directorate. We want to make sure the depot is adequately prepared."

The four-hour drill was more complex than the typical Letterkenny disaster drill. It tested communications between first responders, Chambersburg Hospital and the military.

"It was an outstanding drill," said Doug Bitner, president of the Franklin County Emergency Services Council. "Everything went great."

The U.S. Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is evaluating the Hospital Emergency Planning Initiative.

L. Robert Kimball Corp. developed a Web portal where patient triage, treatment and transport is entered. Emergency management services, military groups and local health care agencies accessed the information by laptops and PDAs.

The exercise was part of Project National Shield, developed in response to the 9-11 terrorists' attacks to better prepare first responders and hospitals to handle mass casualties. The $1.6 million pilot program was an earmark in the 2008 Defense Appropriations Bill. U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, is asking for a $3.5 million earmark in the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill to continue the project -- to deploy a network that would allow first responders, county and state emergency management agencies and the National Guard to communicate with each other and to tie into the Army's central Emergency Operations Center in Picatinny Arsenal. The item passed the House, but needs Senate approval, then must go through the appropriation process.

Patients on Wednesday were tagged with bar codes that were traced electronically. Ambulances responding to the scene were equipped with laptop computers. About half the ambulances in the county are equipped with them, Bitner said.

The instant information gives hospitals additional time to prepare for unexpected mass casualty incidents, he said.

They can bump up staff and direct people to the appropriate hospital.

The hospital's after-action report was fairly favorable, according to Jessica Walter, director of public relations at Summit Heath.

"Everyone was pretty pleased with how each department in the hospital responded," Walter said. "We drill constantly."

The hospital treated 19 "victims," most of them suffering from skin irritation, respiratory problems and upper GI problems.

About 40 first responders -- including fire, ambulance and security personnel responded -- and 50 Letterkenny planners participated, Fenicle said. The Army's fire department tested its new chemical hazardous materials gear and portable weather stations.

[Chief100]

Emergency communications pilot program is the first in the nation - Waynesboro, PA - Waynesboro Record Herald
Waynesboro, PA
By Denise Bonura
The Record Herald
Wed Jun 24, 2009, 11:44 AM EDT

Franklin County is on the cutting edge of communication among 911 dispatchers, EMS personnel and hospitals.

Emergency services personnel have been testing software to help establish an across-the-board communication system, according to Doug Bitner, president of the Franklin County Emergency Services Council.

“We’re developing a bridge between the 911 center to share with EMS,” Bitner said. “And building a bridge between EMS to the hospital.”

The Hospital Emergency Planning Initiative (HEPI) “supports the broad efforts of the U.S. Army’s Armament Research Development and Engineering Center under Project National Shield,” according to an article in the Spring 2009 EHSF Dispatch written by Craig Powers of Med-Media Inc. in Mechanicsburg.

Franklin County was selected, in part, because it is home to Letterkenny Army Depot. When testing is complete, the Army will decide if it wants to implement the program across the country.

Universal system

“We’re trying to develop a universal system that enters patient information into hospital computer systems before the patient arrives during an emergency,” explained Bitner. “It will introduce patients into hospitals so as not to disturb operations.”

Med-Media Inc., founded by pre-hospital EMS professionals, provides public safety solutions for EMS, fire and police agencies and has developed the software.

Andrew Moyer, president and chief executive for Med-Media said, in a news release “the HEPI project builds upon the existing resources in daily use within Franklin County. The interfaces, software and mobile computing solutions will enhance the field operations for EMS and incident commanders and greatly improve
the information flow to hospitals receiving patients.

“Our goal is, and will continue to be, to develop useful products that complement the workflow of healthcare and emergency service personnel,” the release said.

“This is the only place in the nation that this is being developed,” Bitner said. “It’s putting Franklin County on the forefront of technology use in emergency medical services.”

Phases

“These systems existed but they did not intercommunicate,” Bitner said. “The first phase was identifying what organizations needed to be involved. The second phase is identifying what exists out there that we could use to build the system
to include 911 dispatch, EMS and hospital personnel.”

The pilot testing began in September 2007 and involves Letterkenny, the Franklin County EMS Council, the Summit Health System and the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency. Congressman Bill Shuster, a Republican who represents
south-central Pennsylvania, was able to secure $1.6 million for the project in 2008 and $800,000 in 2009.

Bitner said the third phase will run to the fall of 2010 and will complete the implementation of the program.

Bitner said once the third phase is complete, the Army will make a decision about expanding HEPI.

“If it is not used nationally, Franklin County has gained knowledge of and use of this technology forever,” Bitner added. “So, it’s kind of like a big gift.”

Emergency response

Patient care reporting software and laptops have been purchased for ambulances in the county and both “Chambersburg Hospital and Waynesboro Hospital are integral partners in developing and steering the Hospital Emergency Planning
Initiative,” according to Vickie Negley, director of safety and emergency preparedness at Chambersburg Hospital.

“Chambersburg Hospital and Waynesboro Hospital are both participating in program design, process implementation, reassessment and training staff,” Negley said. “There was a Department of Army interest in improving interoperability between military facilities within their local communities, especially if the emergency occurred on base. We are fortunate that the community surrounding Letterkenny Army Depot was chosen.

“We have also tested the capability of the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency and select others to monitor the progression of events,” she added. “This leads to better communitywide resource planning and a coordinated response.
Improving the effectiveness of a response during a large-scale emergency is a key part of Summit Health’s responsibility as a nonprofit community hospital. Summit Health is interested in participating in any initiative that aids in improving the care of our patients and their families.”

Negley said the initiative’s progress is being monitored by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and other agencies.

“It (the initiative) is important because this project was designed to be a test bed for what could potentially be a national project,” Jeff Urbanchuk, Shuster’s press secretary, said. “It’s good for the region because it creates attention and puts an important project in Franklin County. If it works, it’s going to create coordination at a national level.”

On the Net

www.pica.army.mil

www.lead.army.mil

www.co.franklin.pa.us