Solar Eclipse Patient Safety Tips

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, causing the sky to darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Visit the NASA website on the flyer to see if your area is in the path of the eclipse. Follow these safety tips when viewing the eclipse to stay safe. Be sure to share these tips with your family and friends.

Workplace Violence Mitigation & Resource Collection

Curated by IPRO HQIC

Workplace violence (WPV) is defined as an act or threat occurring at the workplace that can include any of the following: verbal, nonverbal, written, or physical aggression; threats, intimidation, harassment, or humiliating words or actions; bullying; sabotage; sexual harassment; physical assaults; or other behaviors of concern involving staff, licensed practitioners, patients, or visitors.

By assessing worksites, preparing employees through training, and providing resources such as clear reporting procedures, healthcare facilities can help to reduce the impact of this hazard on the workforce and continue to ensure a safe place to provide care for patients. Whether your facility already has a workplace violence program or is just starting to develop one, IPRO HQIC has a compendium of tools and resources to ensure that all aspects of this hazard are considered throughout the process.

This collection contains research articles, best practices webinars, planning templates, assessment tools, and online trainings related to workplace violence in healthcare settings.

Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) Training, Templates & More: A Guide for Developing Your EPP

Compiled by IPRO HQIC

According to the CMS Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers, all 17 provider/supplier types must have an Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) as part of their Conditions of Participation.

Additionally, many states require other groups, such as community-based organizations, to have their own plans or adopt the county-level plan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of all organizations having a plan that addresses the four core elements of an Emergency Preparedness Program:

  1. Risk Assessment and Planning
  2. Communication Plan
  3. Policies and Procedures
  4. Training and Testing

We encourage organizations to align their EPP with their community (or county) plan, to assist with regional preparedness. This guide includes links to key guidance, training, and sample templates to help build and/or refine a comprehensive EPP.

Updated: 10/19/23.

Your Worst Day: Emergency Preparedness and Response Educational Series

Prepared by IPRO HQIC

This Emergency Preparedness and Response Webinar series features real life experiences told through the lens of those who have experienced emergencies and will help you prepare and train for emergencies and anticipate potential hazards when an emergency occurs.

For healthcare workers, it is not of question of if, but when an emergency will strike. Emergencies can take many forms and are among the most disruptive experiences that healthcare workers might encounter. Being prepared can save lives, prevent financial/property loss, and ensure the safety and well-being of entire communities. Having a plan helps staff, patients, families, and residents know what to do, where to go, and how to keep themselves safe during an emergency, and ensures access to essential information and equipment.

Session 1: When Things Get Real! (4/20/2023)

Session 2: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know (4/27/2023)

Session 3: The Impact of Trauma (5/4/2023)

Session 4: The Media at Your Door (5/11/2023)

IPRO HQIC March 2022 PFE LAN: Revitalizing PFE Practices after COVID

Prepared by IPRO HQIC

The March PFE Learning and Action Event focuses on how HQIC hospitals can revitalize their implementation of the five PFE Best Practices as the demands of the COVID surges begin to wane. The one-hour session offers a step-by-step approach for hospital leaders to assess and reset their PFE efforts after the pandemic. Representatives from Covenant Healthcare in Michigan share experiences and lessons learned.

ZONE TOOL | COVID-19 Self-Management Zone Tool

This resource was prepared by the Health Service Advisory Group (HSAG)
and adapted by Alliant Health Solutions. It is redistributed by the IPRO
HQIC, a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor, under contract with
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This tool is used by healthcare providers across the continuum of care to educate and prepare patients for safe self-management of COVID-19 illness.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SAFETY NETWORK (NHSN):How to Use the Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity Module

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion and the CDC

As part of CDC’s ongoing COVID-19 response, a new Patient Impact Module has been created in NHSN to help facilities track and monitor the number of cases reported in their facilities daily. The new module collects summary data which can be viewed in a table form without generating new analysis datasets. In addition, the summary data can be exported to excel/CSV for additional analysis outside the application. The data collected using this module will be informative and provide situational awareness at both state and national levels.

HPH Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit 1.0

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit is an objective, data-driven all-hazards risk assessment that can be used by public and private organizations within the HPH Sector to inform emergency preparedness planning, risk management activities, and resource investments. The RISC Toolkit provides owners/operators in the HPH Sector with nationally recognized standards-based evaluation criteria in an easy-to-follow, guided format.

Hospital Operations Toolkit for COVID-19

U.S Department of Health and Human Services

This toolkit was designed as a single source of information for hospital emergency managers and planners preparing to manage large numbers of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some information may be applicable to other hospital personnel and non-hospital settings. The toolkit is comprised of four primary sections and covers considerations from before patients arrive at a hospital to after they are discharged and is designed for users to easily navigate to desired information.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Burn Rate Calculator (Updated 12/16/22)

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Burn Rate Calculator is a spreadsheet-based model that will help healthcare facilities plan and optimize the use of PPE.

Use this Excel spreadsheet to calculate your PPE burn rate. The PPE Burn Rate Calculator (Version 1) may be preferrable for smaller companies.

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Burn Rate Calculator (Version 2) [XLS – 2 MB] has more options for users to enter and view PPE data. Version 2 has more capability to meet the needs of large companies and facilities with complex inventory needs.

Guidance for Planning Vaccination Clinics Held at Satellite, Temporary, or Off-Site Locations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The purpose of this resource is to provide guidance to assist with jurisdictional planning and implementation of satellite, temporary, or off-site vaccination clinics by public and private vaccination organizations. Other users may include public health preparedness professionals. The guidance primarily focuses on clinical considerations for planning a vaccination clinic, including vaccine storage, handling, administration, and documentation.