Emergency Preparedness Specialist

About the role

Responsible for the coordination and implementation of emergency preparedness standards to facilitate a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors. Coordinate education and exercises within the organization to ensure an organized response during a disaster.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary staff member for the Emergency Preparedness program for the healthcare system.
• Aids the Department Manager in developing and implementing Emergency Management/Preparedness programs.
• Serves as a resource for the System providing education and training to System leaders and staff.
• Represents the manager or department at local, regional, state, and national emergency management meetings and events.
• Works across the system for the review of emergency preparedness plans at the department, campus, system, and external levels.
• Ensures the health system’s emergency mass communication system for emergencies is maintained and ensure new employees are added and retired / departing employees are removed.
• Responds to emergency incidents on a situational basis and serves as a resource within the incident command structure.
• Performs education and training needs assessments and works collaboratively with staff development representatives to create, implement, and review safety/regulatory education and training requirements/programs to meet the needs of staff (e.g. Hospital Incident Command System).
• Aids in the preparation and implementation of drills across the System to ensure optimal readiness and response capability and to comply with regulatory requirements.
• Convenes planning groups for each drill to assist in the design, execution and critique.
• Supports the development of After-Action Reports following planned and unplanned events and tracks improvement action plans to completion.
• Makes meetings with departmental leaders from the organization to work on corrective action plans, and improvement initiatives related to safety and emergency management programs.
• Supports the development of relationships and collaborations with partners/stakeholders, both internal and external to the organization, such as other local hospital disaster coordinators, the area healthcare coalition, and emergency medical services, public health, fire and law enforcement agencies.
• Supports hospital first receiver decontamination education and program in each hospital campus.
• Conducts campus specific, annual Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) / risk analysis to determine the facility’s risk for natural (e.g. hurricane, floods, storms), technological (e.g. loss of network), human-caused (e.g. active shooter or hostage situations) and other disasters. Recommends appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Supports departmental budget initiatives, including management of ASPR / Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Grant Program.
• Invents and maintains a stockpile of emergency supplies and equipment and ensures routine testing and replacement.
• Aids the Department Manager in the development and maintenance of policies and procedures that facilitate compliance and program implementation.
• Reviews departmental response plans to ensure that the plans are cohesive, understood and comprehensive hospital wide. When necessary, coordinates revision or additional training when needed.
• Supports the Department Manager in ensuring the facility meets all standards and compliance with federal regulations related to emergency management planning, such as), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations and standards. Also ensure that the facility meets the Emergency Management criteria required by the hospital accreditation body (DNV).
• Partners and collaborates with NGHS IT and Plant Engineering to enhance hospital continuity of operations and 96-hour planning at each hospital.
• Reports outcomes, decisions, and recommendations to the Hospital Emergency Management Committee and the Environment of Care (EOC) Committee.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications

• Licensure or other certifications: Current and valid Georgia State driver’s license
• Education: High School diploma. Completion of FEMA IS-100, FEMA IS-200, FEMA IS-700 and FEMA IS-800 current courses
• Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of experience in emergency management planning
• Preferred: Preferred Licensure or other certifications, Preferred Educational Requirements, Preferred Experience, Other