It’s Time to Evaluate Your COVID-19 Response

HAP’s new tool assesses gaps in your emergency operations, medical transportation plans in response to highly infectious diseases

February 14, 2023

Every successful emergency manager’s toolkit includes an honest appreciation for analysis and feedback.

We don’t run from criticism and review. Instead, we seek opportunities to learn and move forward—better prepared, smarter, and confident to respond to the emergencies that could challenge our facilities and our communities. The upcoming end of the declared federal public health emergency gives us an opportunity to look back on one of health care’s most daunting challenges to date—the response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Recently, HAP—through a grant from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response—developed an assessment tool for hospitals to evaluate their plans for emergency operations (EOP) and their intrastate and interstate transportation plans as they relate to the management of highly infectious disease (HID).

The analysis tool will help you identify blind spots, hidden strengths, and areas for improvement. The potential hazards for your facility and your community are always changing, and we must prepare for these changes in real time.

Here’s what you need to know about our gap analysis tool:

• Who is this tool for?:  Hospital emergency managers, risk management, environment of care, infection control, and other personnel with a responsibility for their facility’s EOP and infectious disease response and transport procedures.
• Areas of focus:  The tool provides an opportunity to evaluate your facility’s EOP to assess your readiness for future infectious disease emergencies, as well as your medical transportation capabilities.
• Why it matters:  The pandemic provided a generation-defining test of emergency preparedness. As we transition into this next phase, it’s time to analyze our response.
• Your goal:  The tool is designed to generate insight, discussion, and analysis regarding your COVID-19 planning and procedures in place and what you can learn moving forward.

Continuous self-assessment is embedded within our work in emergency management. Seeking regular performance feedback from yourself, your coworkers, and your leadership team—and others in your community—will dramatically improve your overall preparedness.

For additional information, check out our EOP and Medical Transportation Gap Analysis Tool online.

If you have questions about our gap analysis tool or how it could benefit your organization, don’t’ hesitate to contact me, or HAP’s emergency management team.