scprsa june 2016 event: crisis communication - palmetto health & columbia flood
TRANSCRIPT
Palmetto Health’s Response
to the great South Carolina Flood of 2015
Reflection
“And once the storm is over, you
won’t remember how you made it
through, how you managed to
survive. You won’t even be sure
whether the storm is really over.
But one thing is certain. When you
come out of the storm, you won’t
be the same person who walked in.
That’s what this storm’s all about.”
-Haruki Murakami
Jay Hamm Tammie Epps Shalama Jackson
Chief Operating Officer Media Relations
Manager
Media Relations
Specialist
Palmetto Health Richland Palmetto Health Palmetto Health
Presenters
Objectives
2
Describe the challenges faced when a 100-year flood devastated
many counties in South Carolina and caused a major disruption to the
City of Columbia water supply.
Learn how Palmetto Health’s emergency planning, training and
exercises aided in the response and recovery.
Learn how Palmetto Health’s Emergency Management Team
coordinated with local, state and federal resources to secure
resources they needed.
Describe lessons learned from this catastrophic flood event.
Discuss what communications vehicles were deployed to assist with
the important role that communications played in the success of the
hospital system to handle the disaster.
6
On Sunday, October 4, 2015 over a trillion gallons of rainfall fell across the
state of South Carolina.
There were a total of 17 deaths as a result of weather related incidents.
Cities, towns, and roadways were flooded.
Home and bridges were destroyed.
Roughly 11,500 South Carolina Energy and Gas customers were without
power.
40,000 people across South Carolina were without drinking water.
One of the costliest natural disasters in South Carolina history
Thousands were left homeless or without power.
Estimated over a $1 Billion in damages to private property
20 counties within the state of South Carolina received a Federal Disaster
Declaration.
50,000 survivors registered and more than $27 million in disaster assistance
funds were approved
South Carolina’s Once in a Millennium Flood
South Carolina’s Once in a Millennium Flood
3
Columbia’s Devastation
10
Palmetto
Health
To be remembered by each patient as
providing the care and compassion we want
for our families and ourselves.
Our Vision
1
Palmetto Health Demographics
12
Five Hospital System: Palmetto Health Baptist, Palmetto
Health Baptist Parkridge, Palmetto Health Children's
Hospital, Palmetto Health Heart Hospital and Palmetto
Health Richland. (Palmetto Health Tuomey – January
2016)
Total number of licensed beds: 1,138
Total number of outpatient visits: 798,708
Total ED visits: 150,800
Total Inpatient Admissions 55,299
Adult & Pediatric Patient Days 308,581
Employees 9,666
Physicians 1.077
Level 1 Trauma Center
Level 3 Neonatal ICU
Emergency Management Cycle
Hazard Vulnerability Analysis
Emergency Operations Plan
Drills
Preparedness
1. Communication
2. Utilities
3. Safety and Security
4. Resources and Assets
5. Staff Responsibilities
6. Patient Care
Preparedness –6 Categories of Emergency Management
Senior Leadership Huddle
Notification of Staff
Develop plan of action
Review Inclement Weather Policy
Equipment Inventory
Drain Assessment
Timeline - Pre-Crisis
Time Line – The first 48 hours CRISIS MODE
4 a.m. Sunday morning – Tuesday morning
15
Damage Assessment
Critical Care Capacity
• Diversion
Employees• Staffing Issues
• Access to work
• Essential vs. Non-essential
• Day Care
Water• Boiled Water Advisory
• Water Pressure
• Access to Water
• Potable Water
• Boiled water and ice, sterilization
Equipment• Saniwipes, etc
Evacuation
Emergency Management
19
Time Line – The second 48 hours SURGICAL
RECOVERY
16
Surgeries Boil Water Advisory
Equipment Processing
• Washer
• Steam Sterilization
Endotoxin Potable Water
Time Line –The third 48 hours – Potable Water
recovery
17
Flush Only National Guard
ROWPU (Reverse Osmosis Purification Unit)
• Chlorination Process
Communications Vehicles
o Internal:- Palmetto Page, internal e-newsletter
- MedNotes, physician e-newsletter
- myPal, Intranet
- Send Word Now, subscription notification system (first use)
- Command Aware, Emergency Management Software
- Overhead paging
- Flyers for patients and visitors
o External:- PalmettoHealth.org, Internet
- Social Media: Facebook and Twitter
- Press releases to media about staff notification, water status etc.
- News Media interviews
31
Flood Response Social Insights
10/4/15 – 10/12/15
Facebook.com/PalmettoHealt
h
- First message went out at
8:37a.m. on 10/4
- Post reached 63,943
- 492 likes
- 461 shares
- 29 posts since 10/4 (total
reach of all posts =
318,353)
- Page reach
- Daily: The number of
people who have seen any
content associated with
your Page. (Unique Users)
277,191
- Net likes +680
31
Facebook.com/PalmettoHealthChil
drensHospital:
- 14 posts since 10/4
- Highest reach post, Dr.
Welsh 9,909
- Page reach
- Daily: The number of people
who have seen any content
associated with your Page.
(Unique Users) 123,876
- Net likes +92
Twitter.com/PalmettoHealth
- 54.3K impressions
over past 10 days
- Average 5.5K
impressions per day
- 131 new followers
- 2,070 total post
engagement
- 208 RTs
- 144 favorites
Lessons Learned – Communication
o Used Unified Alert Desktop system for instructions to team members. However, it was identified that not all computers received.
o During the water purification process, there was a need for more radios for Engineering use.
o Team members reported problems with accessing myPal from home.
o What is the best way to communicate to medical staff? We didn’t have access to all of their cell phone numbers.
o We could have used 296-STAT to notify team members.
o Unified command was run out of only one hospital. There was some confusion at the other campuses about the fact that it was coordination for the entire health care system.
31
Lessons Learned – Patient Care
o No patients harmed
o Temperature sensitive equipment
o Surgical instrument sterilization
o Special medical needs patients
31
Lessons Learned – Safety and Security
• Tape and Barricades
• Employee Transportation
• Routes
• Pick up locations
31
Lessons Learned – Resources and Assets
• Supply and Distribution
• Day Care
• Engineering
• Labor Pool
• Leadership Support
31
Lessons Learned – Staff Responsibilities
o Need sign-in sheet for staff who report to Incident Command
o Need better definition of essential and non-essential staff
o Better staff management and assignment
o Share staff resources across the system when possible
31
Lessons Learned – Utilities
o Retainer contracts for water service
o Consider purchase of water booster pumps and a stock of
proper fittings to be created and maintained
o Consider purchase of water tank and/or well to supply water
to facility
31
Calculating Impact
30
Average Daily Census
•Week of 09/27-10/3: 713 patients
•Week of 10/4-10/10: 662 patients
ED Volume
•Week of 09/27-10/3: 3,150 visits
•Week of 10/4-10/10: 2,600 visits
Gross Revenue
•$26M on budget of $92M (-26%)
Total Loss
$12-15 Million loss
© Palmetto Health 2015
We came through and made a bad situation better.
So, even when the rain falls, we can rest assured that the sun will shine
again.-Carolyn Swinton
Questions?