August 2021 Newsletter
Welcome to the Vermont Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Newsletter
August 2021
As a valued partner of the Vermont Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coalition (VHEPC), you will receive this bi-monthly newsletter highlighting coalition business, upcoming events and preparedness resources. As a reminder, we recommend that you bookmark the VHEPC website calendar and check it often. We are continually curating the calendar with meetings, trainings and exercises.
Our Mission
Our coalition is a multi-disciplinary partnership collaborating with our members, stakeholders, and surrounding communities to improve and expand emergency preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. The VHEPC works with healthcare entities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies in the state of Vermont.
VHEPC Year-End Review
July 1 marked the beginning of a new 2021-2022 fiscal year for the VHEPC. As we take a look back at the past year, we are proud of all the accomplishments that have been made. Without the participation from our amazing members we would not have had such successful year.
THANK YOU!
Understanding Our Risk Is Foundational To Emergency Planning
A hazard vulnerability analysis is a systematic approach to assessing risks and is a cornerstone for emergency preparedness programs, both at the facility-level and coalition-level. There are many existing tools that facilities can use to conduct an HVA; choose the tool that best fits your facility’s needs.
VHEPC will be hosting a coalition/statewide-level HVA workshop as part of our full coalition meeting on Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 10am-Noon. Join us as we work together to validate the top hazards that have the potential to interrupt healthcare delivery across the state, and identify mitigation strategies that we can implement in the coming year to improve our preparedness as a coalition.
Register to attend the HVA Workshop
Learn More about how to conduct an HVA
To assist the VHEPC in compiling a coalition-level HVA, members are asked to complete a short hazard ranking survey.
Photo Credit: J. Kelly on Unsplash
CMS Revised Guidance Related To Emergency Preparedness
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised guidance related to emergency preparedness exercise exemption. This revision allows for a one year exemption for facilities to perform testing exercise since the COVID-19 public health emergency is still in effect. However, this exemption only applies to the next full scale exercise not the exercise of choice.
The full revised guidance can be accessed below.
Photo Credit: Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Member Feedback Survey
As we begin planning for our upcoming grant year, we are asking members to take a few minutes to complete a member feedback survey. The goal of this survey is to help the coalition coordinators know what is working, what isn’t and what members want to see more of. The results of this survey will be shared with members at the August Coalition Meeting.
Please complete this survey by 08/16, All member responses are needed!
Upcoming Coalition Events
August 12- 10:00AM to 11:00AM: Integrated Preparedness Planning Workgroup. Join us for the next work group meeting!
August 19- 10:00AM to NOON: August Coalition Meeting and HVA Workshop- Register to attend HERE
August 24- 7:00PM to 8:00PM: EMSC/VHEPC Pediatric Case Review Webinar. Zoom link HERE
September 8- 2:00PM to 3:00PM: Quarter 1 Redundant Communications Drill.
Contact Us
Kate Hammond, Coalition Chair
802-373-2207
Kate.Hammond@uvmhealth.org
Tim McAdoo, Coalition Co-Chair
802-485-3161
tmcadoo@mayohc.org
Pamela Corbett, Coalition Secretary
802-251-2127
Pamela.Corbett@vermont.gov
Jim Holway, Member at Large
802-392-8849
jholway@livingwellgroup.org
Deborah Wesley, Member at Large
802-388-7259
dwesley@achhh.org
Jennifer Bynum, Readiness and Response Coordinator
919-717-3355
vhepc@allclearemg.com
Hannah Becht, Assistant Readiness and Response Coordinator
478-973-8090
vhepc@allclearemg.com