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Contingency Plans

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Medical Equipment Emergency Matrix

POLICY:
The following contingency plans will be used in the event of loss of units, departments, essential services, or building. This plan shall be used regardless of the reason for loss.

PLANS:

PACU:

Patients will be reacted in the ICU or the pre/post rooms.

Surgical Services:

Patients needing surgery will be transferred to another facility. If elective surgery is scheduled, the case will be cancelled. The patient may be rescheduled or transferred based upon patient and surgeon request.

Scope Room:

Equipment will be taken to another room. If scope failure, use backup scope.

ICU:

Patients will be transferred to Med-Surg Unit if deemed acceptable by physician. If patient is too unstable to be on Med-Surg unit, they must be transferred to another facility.

Med-Surg:

The most unstable patients will be transferred to ICU if beds are available. All patients stable enough will be discharged. Med/Surg may be used, as beds and staff are available. All remaining patients will be transferred. The pre/post rooms in the Surgical Services department may be utilized until transfer is arranged if the patient(s) is (are) in imminent danger.

Lab:

In the event the Lab is non-functional a discussion as to the amount of time it will be non-functional and to what extent it is non-functional. Alternative arrangements will be determined and communicated by Lab management personnel.

Imaging:

If the Imaging Department is non-functional, the portable X-ray will be used for immediately needed X-rays, if it is still available. All non-emergency X-rays will be cancelled. If the portable X-ray is also not available, a replacement will be obtained. If no replacement can be obtained or the Imaging Department cannot be made operative in a reasonable amount of time, alternative imaging arrangements will be determined and communicated by Imaging management personnel.

Cardiopulmonary:

In the event that equipment in the Cardiopulmonary, such as Arterial Blood Gas machine or Electrocardiogram machine, alternative arrangements will be determined and communicated by Cardiopulmonary management personnel.:

Business Office:

If the Business Office is non-functional due to mechanical failure or lack of staff, all billing will be delayed. Persons will be given hand-written receipts for payments but no statements will be given out.

Nutritional Services:

Arrangements have been made with the local Siler City Care and Rehab to provide emergency food if needed.

Material Management:

Emergency supplies will be obtained from suppliers as quickly as possible. A temporary Material Management Department will be set up in another area of the hospital. Needed supplies and equipment will be obtained from local suppliers. Contact will be made with UNC as a back-up supplier.

Pharmacy:

Another alternative to obtain emergency medication is to contact the following hospitals for emergency borrowing:

UNC Health System

Moses Cone Health System

Randolph Hospital

Central Carolina Hospital

Maintenance:

A temporary Maintenance Department will be set up in another area of the hospital. Needed supplies and tools will be obtained from local suppliers.

Loss of Heat or Air Conditioning:

If the heat or air conditioning units fail for any reason, Maintenance should be called immediately. Every effort will be made to repair or replace the units as quickly as possible. Electric fans can be used in patient areas if necessary. Electric heaters are not allowed due to the safety risk. Patients should be given extra blankets. If the heat or air conditioning cannot be repaired within a reasonable amount of time and the temperatures in the building exceed safe comfortable limits, the administrative person should be informed and physicians notified. Physicians should then decide if patients can be discharged or should be transferred.

Building:

For loss of the entire building or if a decision is made the building is no longer safe or essential services cannot be provided, all patients and staff shall be evacuated using the evacuation plan.

Staff Shortage:

This plan will be used regardless of cause of staff shortage.

Lack of Nursing Staff:

If adequate Nursing Staff is unavailable to do basic patient care, regardless of cause, the following actions will be taken. The Chief of Staff and any other physicians with inpatients will be notified. Administrative Nursing staff will provide basic nursing care until such time as additional nursing staff can be summoned or patients can be transferred. All elective procedures and admissions will be cancelled or transferred.

Medical Equipment or Devices:

In the event of failure of a piece of medical equipment or a medical device, first check that it is properly connected and that you are following proper operating procedures. If it continues to fail to function, call Maintenance personnel. Get an in-house replacement if available. If an in-house replacement is not available, Materiel Management should be contacted to see if a loaner or rental replacement is available. Appropriate clinical interventions should be carried out. If replacement equipment is unavailable and patient condition warrants continued need of equipment, the patient will be transferred to an appropriate facility. If failure of equipment or malfunction causes patient injury, refer to the Safe Medical Device Policy.

Other Hospital Services:

Essential services will be carried out by all available and adequately trained personnel with possible utilization of temporary staff until such time as regular employees can be obtained.

Please refer to Medical Equipment Emergency Matrix located in the Environment of Care Manual.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207