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Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPA) of 2013
 President Obama signed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPA) of 2013. Several key initiatives were emphasized in the Act:
- At-Risk Populations
- The need for training and exercises to test the preparedness of public health
- Modernizing communication, situational awareness and biosurveillance.
Please click here for more analysis of key Initiatives of PAHPA 2013 and see how YNHHS-CEPDR can help provide solutions.
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The National Health Security Strategy (NHSS)
Part of the PAHPA legislation directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a National Health Security Strategy (NHSS), which was released in 2009. The goals of NHSS are to build community resilience and strengthen and sustain health and emergency response systems. HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is currently working on the next iteration of the NHSS, which is updated every 4 years. More about this topic in subsequent issues.
Click here for the current National Health Security Strategy (NHSS)
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YNHHS-CEPDR Programs and Services
YNHHS-CEPDR is committed to developing and delivering effective and scalable services that advance healthcare planning, preparedness and response for emergencies and disasters. YNHHS-CEPDR offers the following services to hospitals, other healthcare delivery organizations, emergency management professionals, the business community and others. - Assessments/Evaluations
- Operations
- Exercises
- Situational Awareness/Analysis
- Planning
- Education and Training
- Program Management
- Incident Response Support
For additional information about our services, please contact us at
(203) 688-5000 or center@ynhh.org for questions or comments. Visit us on social media for our latest messages.    
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Decision-Making Tools
 Enhancing Situational Awareness and Decision-Making
Jeff Schlegelmilch, MPH, MEP; Manager, Emergency Management Services at YNHHS-CEPDR
On April 9, 2013, Jeff Schlegelmilch gave a presentation at the Connecticut Chapter of the Association of Contingency Planners monthly meeting. The presentation, entitled "Enhancing Situational Awareness and Decision-Making," discussed the tools that YNHHS-CEPDR has developed to assist healthcare and public health organizations. The presentation discussed the applicability of situation awareness concepts to healthcare in the control of complex systems. It identified several tools that healthcare organizations can use to address real-time, e.g., hurricanes, flooding, etc. The tools provide pre- and post-storm decision points, checklists and predictions. Mr. Schlegelmilch went on to say that these tools are "just the beginning" and that "additional platforms should be considered support and integrate these tools into real-time decision-making." The "overall goal of all weather-related updates is to allow healthcare organizations to use a single point of reference for situational awareness during a natural disaster that are directly tied to the critical decisions that need to be made at that moment."
Figure 1: Synchronization Matrix and Decision Points
YNHHS-CEPDR's System Information Resource Center (SIRC) has developed processes for collection, assessment, analysis and dissemination of information from state and national sources that support critical decisions for acute care hospitals during an event. Learn more about how YNHHS-CEPDR can help your organization by visiting www.ynhhs.org/cepdr, emailing center@ynhh.org or calling (203) 688-5000.
Click here for a PowerPoint presentation on critical decision-making.
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Hospital Finance
What did the disaster cost the hospital?
By George Manzo, MBA; Director, Financial Planning and Budget at Yale-New Haven Hospital
During a disaster, the hospital finance department contributes to maintaining uninterrupted patient care delivery and has a part in disaster planning. Finance considerations can include vendor payments, expense tracking and revenue tracking to name a few.
Payment arrangements during a disaster should be discussed and agreed upon with vendors prior to an emergency event. Different scenarios should be taken into account when talking with vendors. A situation to keep in mind, for example, may be that during a disaster, electronic payment mechanisms may not be available. Payment terms should not hinder vendors from delivering supplies to a hospital during a disaster.
Another finance consideration during a disaster is expense tracking. Specifically, it would be useful for a hospital to track extraordinary expenses related to the disaster so that it will be easier to itemize and report these expenses to Federal agencies or insurance companies when attempting to recoup some of the costs. Keeping dedicated cost centers and/or expense accounts are among different methods for tracking costs. It is important that the mechanisms to track costs be established prior to a disaster.
A slightly obscure finance consideration is the ability to track lost revenue or volume. If a hospital has business interruption insurance, any loss in profit due to the disaster may be recouped depending on the terms of the insurance policy. Regardless of business interruption insurance, senior leadership and board members will ask the question; "What did the disaster cost the hospital?" Finance will want to be sure to have a comprehensive answer that includes extraordinary expenses as well as lost volume and revenue.
Figure 2: Critical Data to Collect for Disaster Expenses
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Does your organization require assistance in implementing the Affordable Care Act/healthcare reform, patient safety/HAIs, background check systems, episodes of care, health information technology and improved customer service?
The Yale New Haven Health System Center for Healthcare Solutions offers services and programs that will help you meet current healthcare standards, priorities and other challenges. Healthcare-focused services include education and training, assessments, planning and program implementation and testing and evaluation in the disciplines of healthcare reform, patient safety, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), background check systems, health information technology/electronic health records, evidence-based translational research, and service excellence. For more information, please visit www.ynhhs.org/chs.
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