Pandemic Management in a Pediatric Hospital. (April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ratnapalan, Savithiri; Martimianakis, Maria Athina (Tina); Cohen-Silver, Justine H.; Minnes, Bruce; MacGregor, Daune; Allen, Upton; Richardson, Susan E.; Friedman, Jeremy N.; Bruce-Barrett, Cindy; Haj-Assaad, Lutfi; Noordermeer, Judy; Daneman, Denis
• Is Part Of: Clinical pediatrics. Volume 52:Number 4(2013)
• Page Start: 322
• Page End: 328
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Subjects: pandemics -- pandemic management -- pandemic planning -- academic centers -- emergency preparedness; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1177/0009922812474890
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-9228

Abstract

Objectives . To describe our experiences in the management of the second wave of influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) pandemic in a tertiary-care children's hospital. Methods . An autoethnographic study of the pandemic planning and management committee members involved in managing the second wave of pH1N1 was conducted. Results . Staffing, surge capacity, communications and emergency operations planning by adding leaders of frontline workers and other key operational roles to the incident management team, and creating a tactical response team emerged as important factors in pandemic management in our hospital. The emergency department visits increased by 50%, necessitating increased staffing of the emergency department. Communications using existing chains of command had to be used to reach frontline staff during the pandemic. Conclusions . Incident management teams managing pandemics and other disasters have to be dynamic and create tactical teams to ensure implementation and facilitate bidirectional communication with frontline workers.