2012 Disaster Management & Continuums of Care in Health

About

Designed for all healthcare providers, this conference will bring together leading healthcare practitioners to discuss strategies and plans for continuums of care in health following a disaster.
 
With a strong emphasis on case studies and first-hand accounts of disaster management, this conference will give you a level of knowledge and expertise which can only be gained through learning from speakers who have had first-hand experience of delivery of care during a disaster.

 
Key speakers include:

Dr Nigel Millar, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury District Health Board
Dr Amanda Holgate, Emergency Physician, Christchurch Hospital
David Grundy, M.D., FACEM, Consultant Emergency Medicine and Director of Disaster Management, Middlemore Hospital and CMDHB
Polly Grainger, Nurse Coordinator – Clinical Projects, Emergency Department Christchurch Hospital
Andy Wisheart, Northern Region Primary Care Planning Manager, Northern DHB Support Agency
Kate Cooper, Associate Clinical Nurse Manager – Emergency Department, Christchurch Hospital
 

Agenda

Agenda: Day 1

8.30

Registration & Coffee

9.00

Opening remarks from the Chair

Dr Nigel Millar, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury District Health Board

9.10

Case Study: A whole of health system response to a disaster - the challenges and actions taken

The Christchurch earthquake of 2011 was one of New Zealand’s deadliest peacetime disasters. This session focuses on the whole of health system response led by the CDHB, and the challenges involved with managing through a disaster situation.
• Disaster response: actions taken by the Canterbury Health System
• Coordination and management of a total health system during a disaster
• Crisis leadership
• Developing and implementing recovery plans

Dr Nigel Millar, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury District Health Board

Speaker has declined permission for his material to be online

10.00

Case Study: The disaster which rocked New Zealand - a healthcare practitioner’s firsthand account

A thorough analysis of the actions taken by healthcare providers following the earthquake provides invaluable insights into disaster management from a New Zealand perspective, and facilitates the development of New Zealand’s healthcare response to disaster management and recovery.
• Analysis of the first 24 hours from a healthcare perspective
• The healthcare response: what worked and what could be done differently
• Changes implemented since the 2011 earthquake to strengthen disaster response plans

Dr Amanda Holgate, Emergency Physician, Christchurch Hospital

Speaker has declined permission for her material to be online

10.45

Morning break & refreshments

11.00

Case study: The role of regional healthcare providers

A case study of the impact on the Timaru community and South Canterbury DHB following the Christchurch earthquake
• Actions taken by SCDHB during the Christchurch earthquake relief efforts
• Issues when responding to a disaster outside of your immediate region
• Impact on the community as a consequence of the event

Bill Taine, Chief Medical Officer, South Canterbury District Health Board

11.45

Utilising primary healthcare providers for effectively managing patient flow

Primary healthcare can provide invaluable support during a disaster. This session will focus on their role, and how best to utilise their resources for effective disaster management.
• Best use of resources: how to most effectively utilise the primary healthcare during a disaster response
• Aspects to consider when working with primary healthcare providers
• Planning requirements in primary care

Andy Wisheart, Northern Region Primary Care Planning Manager, Northern DHB Support Agency

12.30

Lunch break

1.30

Case Study: Strategies for dealing with large influxes of patients - experiences learnt from Christchurch earthquake

Effective management of large influxes of patients is a necessity for disaster management. Ensuring that data is accurately recorded is vital for immediate emergency management, returning to business as usual and the review process.
• Collecting demographic data on arrival, symptoms presented, treatment given, current and final locations and timeframes
• What to do when you’re unable to find a patient
• Dealing with unidentified bodies
• Strategies implemented by the Christchurch Hospital following the 2011 earthquake

Polly Grainger, Nurse Coordinator – Clinical Projects, Christchurch Hospital

2.15

Not your average day: Lessons learnt from an anaesthetist during the Christchurch earthquake

Dr Bryce Curran, Anaesthesia Specialist, Canterbury DHB

Speaker has declined permission for his material to be online

2.45

Afternoon break & refreshments

3.15

Case Study: Pre-hospital care - the role of the paramedic during a disaster

Paramedics are often the first line of response in a disaster situation. A Christchurch paramedic explains the paramedic’s role in crisis management, and how they dealt with events during the February 2011 earthquake.
• The role and scope of triage centres during a disaster
• Deciding when to treat patients at triage centres, and when to take them to hospital
• The extent of care delivered by paramedic staff during disaster relief

Murray Holt, Regional Operations Manager, St John - Northern Region

4.00

Panel Discussion: Disaster response - a firsthand account

While extensive training is implemented to ensure that emergency workers and healthcare providers are adequately prepared in the case of a disaster, the true test is only possible when faced with a real life situation.
• Reality check: Are our current training systems adequately preparing front line workers?
• What caught me off guard: aspects of disaster management which training simply can’t adequately prepare you for
• What I wish I had known prior to the disaster occurring

Dr Amanda Holgate, Emergency Physician, Christchurch Hospital
Murray Holt, Regional Operations Manager, St John - Northern Region
Dr Bryce Curran, Anaesthesia Specialist, Canterbury DHB

4.45

End of day one & networking drinks

9.00

Welcome back from the Chair

Dr Nigel Millar, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury District Health Board

9.05

International Keynote Address: Provision of Care during the Queensland floods

Seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected by the 2011 Queensland floods. With hospitals, roads and towns flooded, learn how health care providers continued to administer care in Central Queensland.
• How best to deliver care when faced with extensive flooding
• What are the most important concerns for healthcare practitioners during a flood
• Lessons learnt and implemented to improve response to flooding in the future

Dr Meredith Arcus, Regional Medical Director, Western Australian Country Health Service – South West

Speaker has declined permission for her material to be online

9.45

Extended Q&A with International Keynote Address

10.00

Surge Capacity: What to do when there isn’t enough!

• Staff management: getting it just right
• Caring for staff: Security, accountability, and debriefing
• Means to rapidly clear clinical areas without compromising patient safety
• Maintaining quality documentation and tracking while avoiding bottlenecks: the Lightning Pack
• Linear vs. Mass Casualty Incident Triage. Have a plan!

David Grundy, Consultant Emergency Medicine and Director of Disaster Management, Middlemore Hospital and CMDHB

Speaker has declined permission for his material to be online

10.45

Morning break & refreshments

11.00

Best practice staff deployment during an emergency

When time is critical, staff are overwhelmed and the need is great, how do you decide how to deploy staff in the most effective manner? This session focuses on the organisation and coordination of staff, coupled with management of national medical volunteers, in an effective, coordinated and ‘best practice’ method.
• Developing a deployment plan
• Ensuring that staff are in the most critical need areas
• Having the right people, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right job

Dr John Bonning, Emergency Clinical Director, Waikato District Health Board

Speaker has declined permission for his material to be online

11.45

Caring for the carers: the emotional health of front line workers

With large influxes of critical care patients within short timeframes front line emergency staff often overlook their own personal needs for emotional support. Crisis counselling is paramount, however, for the continued stability, and effectiveness, of staff.
• Recognising the role which crisis counselling plays in ensuring staff perform to their best capabilities during an emergency
• Identifying warning signs: when to initiate crisis counselling
• Staff debriefing and the provision of adequate rest periods
• Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder

Cindy Penny, Social Worker, ADHB

Speaker has declined permission for her material to be online

12.30

Lunch break

1.30

When the pressure is on: communication in the face of adversity

Effectively responding to the challenges of a disaster requires more than medical skills, expertise and knowledge. Being able to successfully communicate within your team is essential for leading staff during a traumatic event; when staff are required to perform at high levels of expertise while facing potentially devastating personal loss. This session will focus on the softer skills of crisis management, analysing how best to communicate and engage staff during a time of heightened emotions.
• Defusing conflict under pressure: some useful reminders
• Quality communication when it really matters
• Handling anger – theirs and yours!

David Henton, Director, Confident Communication Limited

2.15

Case Study: Once the initial crisis is over - returning to business as usual

Debriefing and recovery is as much an important component as the initial acute response. This session will focus on how the Christchurch Hospital’s Emergency Department shifted from the immediate management of the crisis back to business as usual.
• Process used for returning to our core business
• Remaining flexible to staff requirements post disaster
• Adapting to change

Kate Cooper, Associate Clinical Nurse Manager – Emergency Department, Christchurch Hospital

Speaker has declined permission for her material to be online

3.00

Closing remarks from the Chair and end of conference

Sponsors

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