SWFLHCC COVID-19 Briefing Was Developed and Disseminated to All Members and Partners
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COVID-19 After Action Report/ Improvement Plan March – October 2020 Volume 1. March 2021 Real World Event Overview: COVID-19 Event Name COVID-19 Response (Real World Event) The Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition began monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020. Increased information gathering efforts began in early March. The Coalition activated its Operations Plan on March 11th, 2020, in alignment with the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization, in order to provide enhanced communication and critical resource coordination to Coalition members and partners. Florida began to report cases of COVID-19 in March 2020, and both the Coalition and the health care system has been responding to COVID-19 since that time. Significant dates that initiated statewide response to COVID-19: Real World Event Information & • State: Florida Public Health Emergency declared on 03/01/2020 Important Dates [Executive Order Number 20-51] • State: Florida State of Emergency declared on 03/09/2020 [Executive Order Number 20-52] • Presidential Declaration: President Trump issued a federal disaster declaration pursuant to Section 501(b) of the Stafford Act for Florida Covid-19 (EM-3432) on 3/13/2020. The incident period is January 20, 2020 and continuing. • A Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4486-DR) was approved for Florida on March 25, 2020. This After Action Report covers the response by the Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition to the COVID-19 Pandemic from March 2020 through October 2020. The pandemic response continued after that date and Scope of AAR subsequent reports will document and analyze the ongoing response including vaccinations. Mission Area Response Healthcare Capability 1: Foundation for Health Care and Medical Readiness Preparedness & Capability 2: Health Care and Medical Response Coordination Response Capability 3: Continuity of Health Care Service Delivery Capabilities Capability 4: Medical Surge Event Name COVID-19 Response (Real World Event) 1. Health care organizations, the HCC, their jurisdictions, and the ESF-8 lead agency plan and collaborate to share and analyze information, manage and share resources, including volunteer management support, and coordinate strategies to deliver medical care to all populations during emergencies and planned events. 2. In conjunction with or through ESF-8, local coalition partners can Objectives (for demonstrate the ability to enhance situational awareness by sharing Healthcare Essential Elements of Information (EEIs). Coalition 3. HCCs, in conjunction with ESF-8, demonstrate use of communication Qualifying systems and platforms to assist in the collection and dissemination of Exercise) timely, relevant, and actionable information. 4. Health care organizations, and the HCC, in conjunction with ESF-8, will need to respond to a surge in demand for health care services as a result of an emergency. This will require a coordinated approach to share information and resources, including staff, and ensure the stewardship of beds, medical equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other key items to provide the best possible care under such conditions. Hazard Infectious Disease Pandemic – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Participating Reference Appendix B for a list of agencies/organizations who participated in Organizations the development of this after-action report and improvement plan (AAR-IP) Points of Contact Kevin Gingras Project Manager Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition Email: [email protected] Cell: 239-270-1041 Peggy Brown Director Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition Email: [email protected] Cell: 239-223-4447 Executive Summary The Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition (SWFLHCC) leadership and staff began monitoring activities regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) in January 2020, and continued monitoring media and government communications through February and early March. In mid-March, following the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization, SWFLHCC staff started gathering critical information from many sources, including county, regional and state conference calls regarding response planning and potential operations. On March 12th, the SWFLHCC activated its Operations Plan to uphold its mission to provide information and resource coordination in support of Emergency Support Function-8 (ESF-8). On the same day, the first SWFLHCC COVID-19 Briefing was developed and disseminated to all members and partners. Coalition staff continued to monitor conference calls, collect current information and feedback from members, and send out informational messages throughout 2020. These briefings included up-to-date case counts, current information on emergency response efforts at the county, regional and state levels, upcoming trainings and webinars on COVID-19, test site information, notes from statewide conference call, and resources and links to a variety of COVID-19 related topics. While originally disseminated daily, once information flow slowed to a more predictable speed, they were created and sent out less frequently. Feedback on the briefings was overwhelmingly positive from our members and partners, as they were deemed a credible source of current information on the COVID- 19 pandemic response. Logistical support for response activities is a component of SWFLHCC’s Operations Plan. This component was activated early on in our response to COVID-19. In early February 2020, SWFLHCC began to acquire infectious disease prevention equipment to support our healthcare system. The coalition was able to purchase decontamination tents, swamp coolers, electrostatic sprayers, air scrubbers, and aeroclaves. SWFLHCC quickly developed a resource acquisition list outlining the preferred method for their perspective county emergency operation management’s protocols to obtain PPE and other materials. The SWFLHCC also provided an opportunity for members and partners to attend a combined webinar on COVID-19 and hurricane preparedness that had several panelists from various agencies such as AHCA, FDOH, and EM. These webinars focused on how healthcare agencies can prepare for the upcoming hurricane season during the COVID-19 pandemic and included general question and answer period related to COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, one area that SWFLHCC has been consistent in is the support of County Standing Committee/Coalition Meetings. These meetings serve as invaluable opportunities for collaboration and information sharing, and our regional staff has offered support to all county standing committee leadership. We have provided a virtual meeting platform and consistent administrative support for these meetings. This report covers the SWFLHCC COVID-19 Response from March through October of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. To allow for interim learning and improvement the coalition choose to divide the report on the response to the pandemic into phases. The next phase will include the introduction and dissemination of the vaccines. We recognize that there will be many more strengths and areas for improvement in our response before the end of the pandemic, and we will document those in subsequent report. Analysis of Healthcare Preparedness & Response Capabilities Aligning objectives and capabilities provides a consistent taxonomy for evaluation that transcends individual exercises or events to support preparedness reporting and trend analysis. Table 1 includes the event objectives, aligned capabilities, and performance ratings for each capability as observed during the event. Healthcare Performed Performed Performed Unable to Preparedness & without with Some with Major be Objective Response Challenges Challenges Challenges Performed Capabilities (P) (S) (M) (U) Health care organizations, the HCC, 1: Foundation for their jurisdictions, and the ESF-8 Health Care & S lead agency plan and collaborate to Medical share and analyze information, Readiness manage and share resources, 2: Health Care & including volunteer management Medical Response support, and coordinate strategies Coordination S to deliver medical care to all populations during emergencies and planned events. In conjunction with or through ESF- 2: Health Care & 8, local coalition partners can Medical Response demonstrate the ability to enhance Coordination situational awareness by sharing S Essential Elements of Information (EEIs). HCCs, in conjunction with ESF-8, 2: Health Care & demonstrate use of communication Medical Response systems and platforms to assist in Coordination S the collection and dissemination of timely, relevant, and actionable information. Health care organizations, and the 3: Continuity of HCC, in conjunction with ESF-8, Health Care Service S will need to respond to a surge in Delivery demand for health care services as a result of an emergency. This will require a coordinated approach to share information and resources, 4: Medical Surge including staff, and ensure the stewardship of beds, medical equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other key items to provide the best possible M care under such conditions. Table 1. Summary of Capability Performance Ratings Definitions: Performed without Challenges (P): The targets and critical tasks associated with the capability were completed in a manner that achieved the objective(s) and did not negatively impact the performance of other activities. Performance of this activity did not contribute to additional health and/or safety risks for the public or for emergency workers, and it was conducted in accordance