Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical and Practical Hospital Emergency Management

Emergency management is of utmost importance in the healthcare industry as it enables hospitals to ensure the safety of their patients, build community resilience, and comply with standards and regulations. Healthcare organizations must prepare their staff to make the right decisions and promptly act during emergency events. Emergency Management Alliance (EMA) specializes in helping organizations achieve emergency preparedness to handle everyday emergencies and extreme events such as natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and pandemics.

EMA is a renowned name in the industry for providing accessible and long-lasting emergency management solutions. It helps create resilient organizations that can effectively respond to and recover from various threats and hazards. EMA offers on-site guidance and practical, functional, and mission oriented certification training specifically designed for healthcare organizations. These training solutions are fully compliant with the standard of care and aligned with the requirements of healthcare accrediting organizations.

“What we bring to the table is a process to deal with any kind of event, emphasizing the importance of gaining and sustaining situational awareness and addressing operational considerations unique to each type of emergency,” says David Matthew, president, EMA. “It allows the hospitals to tackle any event with a risk-based approach, focusing on a specific threat or hazard, understanding how they are vulnerable to it, and preparing for the likely impacts. This is crucial to making better decisions.”

Developing a Community of Interest

David Matthew and Glenn Joseph founded EMA, a leading emergency management company.

After serving 35 years in the public safety and emergency management sector including developing and delivery of hospital based training programs for DQE, Matthew realized that there was a dire need to enhance the emergency systems of the healthcare industry. In early 2021 DQE offered its existing training programs to be licenced to EMA. Matthew was fully aware of the amount of expertise and energy required to establish a new business to address this issue.

He contacted Jack McCartt, an industry icon and trusted friend for his insights and expertise. Jack immediately recognized the opportunity and recommended Glenn Joseph as ideal for the effort.

During his career, Joseph worked as a registered nurse in a rural community for almost eight years. In this role, he was responsible for taking care of patients who had been affected by exposure to pesticides and chemicals. These experiences helped Joseph develop a strong understanding of emergency management, blending theoretical knowledge and real-world application.

“Our initial focus revolved around crafting programs that local hospitals could integrate into their long-term solutions. The goal was twofold: to offer training sessions while concurrently developing champions within the hospitals to eventually assume full control of their emergency management initiatives,” says Joseph, COO. “Each year, as we imparted our knowledge, we were driven to introduce new and improved methodologies and insights. This cycle of evolution ensured that we consistently delivered cutting-edge solutions tailored to the evolving needs of our clientele.”

EMA has built a community where hospital emergency managers have access to subject matter experts who can offer smart practices to emergent events. Quarterly webinars are offered where partitioners offer recent experiences and their lessons learned.

In 2023, Jack McCartt officially joined EMA as its Chief Strategist.

EMA’s commitment to adaptability and innovation has allowed it to expand the program’s reach and impact, positioning the company as a leader in training for hospital emergency management.

A Comprehensive Approach

EMA provides certification training and exercises in developing sustainable programs which includes First Receiver Decontamination (FRD), hospital-based incident command systems (HICS), Emergency Manager Bootcamp, and all-hazards planning.

Its curriculum is designed for easy adoption in the workplace.

The approach adopted by the company involves engaging presentations followed by practical activities and functional exercises. The participants are provided with instruction templates, job aids, and practical coaching, which helps in instilling self-sufficiency among the participants. The goal is to transforms the participants into champions who can effectively implement sustainable programs in their healthcare establishments.

After imparting theoretical knowledge and establishing infrastructure and policies, EMA guides healthcare facilities in applying the acquired insights. Hospitals can identify gaps and improve their emergency management processes by implementing HICS, FRD, and all-hazard planning. Additionally, EMA provides recertification training to emergency managers, helping them enhance their skills for success in the field.

What we bring to the table is a process to deal with any kind of event, emphasizing the importance of situational awareness and operational considerations . It allows the hospitals to tackle any event with a risk-based approach, understanding what the hazard is, how they are vulnerable to it, and the likely impacts of it. This is crucial to make better decisions

“We equip participants with a rulebook and a playbook. While the rulebook lays out the fundamental guidelines, it’s often difficult for individuals to grasp the intricacies of the playbook. This is achieved during practical exercises, where they will truly comprehend the nuances of decisionmaking processes, identify potential pitfalls, and learn the shortcuts to effective decision-making,” says Jack McCartt, Chief Strategist at EMA.

Once the training is completed, the healthcare organizations receive action reports, resources, and exercise records. The repository ensures that critical knowledge and documentation are easily accessible to incoming managers. This is crucial in addressing the challenge of continuity when a facility transitions between emergency managers. The new manager only needs access to the SharePoint drive for all the information and insights.

The success of EMA’s programs depends on four key pillars: training, infrastructure, policies and procedures, and exercises. These pillars are interdependent, and while training is essential, infrastructure, policies and procedures, and exercises are equally important.

The Road Ahead

EMA has introduced two new programs in 2024, one of which involves common-sense implementation (CSI) of the Hospital Incident Command System (CSI for HICS) and an Emergency Manager Bootcamp. The Emergency Manager Bootcamp is tailored specifically for those overseeing emergency management programs within hospitals. These initiatives show a broader approach to in expanding our community of interest focused on hospital emergency preparedness.

“We prioritize sustainable growth and delivering enduring value. Our aim is not just to expand but to ensure that every initiative we undertake contributes to long-term impact and resilience for our clients,” says McCartt.

In five years, our goal is to become the leading partner for hospital emergency managers, providing comprehensive support for certification training, emergency planning, and full scale and table top exercises in building sustainable capabilities.