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Strategies and Tools for Community Planners

Providing Mass Medical Care With Scarce Resources

Web Conference

Broadcast on November 29, 2006, this Web conference gave an overview of the community planning guide and provided planners at the institutional, State, and Federal levels with valuable insights and information that will help them plan for and respond to a Mass Casualty Event (MCE). Effective advance MCE planning also will help ensure the provision of the most appropriate standards of care possible under the circumstances. The Web conference focused on the specific circumstances communities likely would face as a result of an MCE and the key principles and critical organizational structures to be incorporated into MCE planning.

Select to access the Conference Sessions; all slides for each presentation are also available separately. Select for Playback Tips and Software Requirements.

While listening to the audio, you can also access the individual PowerPoint® slide presentations and manually move through the slides referred to by each presenter. There is a text version of each slide presentation as well as a text transcript of the entire audio portion of the conference.

Program Objectives

The panelists:

Discuss the pressing issues that need to be addressed in terms of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the first responders in the case of an MCE. Highlights of specific issues that planners need to consider to maximize EMS response capacity are presented, as are strategies and tools for successful EMS/MCE planning.
Present an overview of the recommended systems and processes for planning and implementing the allocation of scarce hospital and acute care resources during an MCE.
Examine the different types of Alternative Care Sites that may need to be established during an MCE if hospitals and other traditional venues for health care services are rendered inoperable. The critical issues and decisions regarding the location, establishment, and operation of these sites are examined.
Address the overarching MCE planning issue of palliative care—how to provide optimal support for the dying, those facing life-limiting illness or injury, and those caring for them. Ways to integrate palliative care into all aspects of MCE planning and response activities are discussed.
Highlight the myriad challenges across the spectrum of health care and essential services that community planners will need to consider in having to allocate scarce resources as a result of a flu pandemic.

Conference Sessions

The streaming presentation includes the audio and slides presented during the Web program. Because this is a recording of the sessions, instructions to participants are no longer relevant. To access each session, select Streaming Presentation. All slides for each presentation are available separately.

Select for Playback Tips and Software Requirements.

Streaming Presentation (Length, about 1.5 hours).

Presentations

Edward Gabriel, M.P.A., AEMT-P (PowerPoint® Slides, 100 KB; Web Version).
Director of Crisis Management, Walt Disney Corporation
John L. Hick, M.D. (PowerPoint® Slides, 225 KB; Web Version).
Emergency Physician, Hennepin County Medical Center; Chair, Metropolitan Hospital Compact
Steve V. Cantrill, M.D. (PowerPoint® Slides, 445 KB; Web Version).
Associate Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center
Marianne Matzo, Ph.D., APRN, BC, FAAN (PowerPoint® Slides, 475 KB; Web Version).
Professor, Palliative Care Nursing; University of Oklahoma College of Nursing
Ann Knebel, R.N., D.N.Sc., FAAN (PowerPoint® Slides, 3 MB; Web Version).
Deputy Director for Preparedness Planning, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

PowerPoint® files can be viewed with Microsoft® PowerPoint® or with a free PowerPoint® Viewer.

Playback Tips

These streaming video presentations demand a lot from your computer's resources. You may find that the streaming video works better if you close other applications and windows on your computer.
To adjust audio levels, slide the button in the lower right corner.
To start, pause, or stop playback, use the buttons in the left corner.
To jump ahead in the session, use the slider at the bottom.

Software Requirements

To access the audio clips, you will need RealPlayer® software installed on your computer. To download a free RealPlayer®, go to http://www.real.com and select "Get RealPlayer®Free." Check the minimum requirements for your system; if you are a Macintosh® or Unix/Linux user, select the player appropriate for your computer.

Follow the instructions provided for download and installation. If you are unsure of where you saved it on your computer, select "Start" on your navigation bar, then "Find," and search for "Real." When you find the folder, look for the "Set-Up" box, select that, and the installation will begin.

Current as of November 2006

Internet Citation:

Providing Mass Medical Care With Scarce Resources: Strategies and Tools for Community Planners. Web Conference, broadcast on November 26, 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/massmedcare/