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King County Healthcare Coalition
ORGANIZATION & STRUCTURE FUNDAMENTALS
Planning time was well spent carefully defining the framework of the Healthcare Coalition to promote a structure that would be inclusive and enduring.
Coalition Roles
Tiered Response
Coalition Governance and Structure
Regional Medical Resource Center
COALITION ROLES
The King County Healthcare Coalition is a network of healthcare organizations and providers that are committed to coordinating emergency preparedness and response activities through the following roles and responsibilities:
Coalition Preparedness Roles
Coalition Response Roles
COALITION GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE
The Coalition is an inclusive body that is open to all organizations that provide health services in King County. There are two categories of participation in the Coalition, Members and Partners. There is an Executive Council that serves as the governing body of the Healthcare Coalition, a Regional Medical Resource Center that ensures a 24/7 response capability, and there are topic specific focus areas that are addressed by committees, workgroups and project managers.
TIERED RESPONSE
The development of a Healthcare Coalition is designed not only to coordinate planning but also to coordinate the flow of information more efficiently during times of crisis.
A traditional response structure illustrates multiple organizations directly interfacing with Public Health in response mode. This type of structure can experience immediate overload and cause confusion on information sources.
The Healthcare Coalition Tiered Response Structure provides additional tier in the response that involves the representative executive council for policy level information and decision making and the regional medical resource center for operational information and decision making such as resource management and situational updates. This tiered response structure is taken from the Department of Health and Human Service's report - "Medical Surge Capacity and Capability: A Management System for Integrating Medical and Health Resources During Large-Scale Emergencies".
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL GOVERNANCE
The Executive Council serves as the governing body of the Healthcare Coalition. The Council's purpose is to provide leadership for the Coalition, to represent the Coalition in community emergency planning and response, and to ensure that all Coalition members have the opportunity to participate in coordinated, integrated emergency planning and response efforts. The King County Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Structure illustrates the internal organizational framework of Coalition.
The Executive Council is designed to be a representative body that reflects the different sectors of the health care system. Council members are selected by sectors to fill specific positions, e.g. hospitals, medical groups, safety net providers. Sectors may elect, appoint, or rotate their representatives. The following information outlines very specific guidelines for the governance of the King County Healthcare Coalition that can be used as a sample when structuring your own Coalition.
Governance Roles
Council Response Roles:
Council Representative Responsibilities
Structure
The Council is designed to be a representative body that reflects the different sectors of the healthcare system. Council representatives will be selected by sectors to fill 15 seats for 2-year terms. Sectors may rotate their representatives.
Officers
The Executive Council will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair presides over meetings of the Executive Council and general Coalition membership meetings, and represents the Coalition as needed. The Vice-Chair serves in the absence of the Chair and represents the Coalition as needed. Officers will serve 2-year terms.
Meetings
The Executive Council will convene quarterly.
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MEMBERS AND PARTNERS
The Coalition is a voluntary organization that is open to all organizations that provide healthcare services in King County. There are two categories of participation in the Coalition: Members and Partners.
Members and Partners are represented by the following healthcare sectors:
Partners are governmental health agencies and health-related organizations, such as professional or trade associations. Partners in King County include medical equipment suppliers, fire departments, emergency management agencies, EMS and police departments. These organizations usually have their own structure from which to respond during an emergency (ie. fire, police) or might have state responsibilities (ie. hospital associations, home health associations). Partners are non-voting members who may participate in Coalition meetings and serve on Coalition committees and work groups.
Coalition members and partners agree to:
REGIONAL MEDICAL RESOURCE CENTER (RMRC)
The King County Regional Medical Resource Center (RMRC) is the operational arm of the Healthcare Coalition. The RMRC will provide resource management and coordination support to Healthcare Coalition members and partners, the Public Health EOC and identified healthcare providers during an emergency, disaster and catastrophe in King County.
RMRC Preparedness Roles:
RMRC Response Roles:
ORGANIZATION & STRUCTURE FUNDAMENTALS
Planning time was well spent carefully defining the framework of the Healthcare Coalition to promote a structure that would be inclusive and enduring.
Coalition Roles
Tiered Response
Coalition Governance and Structure
Regional Medical Resource Center
COALITION ROLES
The King County Healthcare Coalition is a network of healthcare organizations and providers that are committed to coordinating emergency preparedness and response activities through the following roles and responsibilities:
Coalition Preparedness Roles
- Provide a regional structure and process for members and partners to improve organizational and regional emergency preparedness through joint-planning and problem-solving
- Develop and co-sponsor a Regional Medical Resource Center to coordinate medical assets and communications for the healthcare system
- Provide a healthcare training and exercise program based on healthcare sector and regional plans to improve preparedness
Coalition Response Roles
- Participate in the Public Health Emergency Operations Center Unified Command structure through the Executive Council to meet the health and medical needs of the community
- Provide a structure for the healthcare system to addressing priorities that arise during a response
- Maximize the healthcare system's emergency response capacity by sharing information and resources through the Regional Medical Resource Center
COALITION GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE
The Coalition is an inclusive body that is open to all organizations that provide health services in King County. There are two categories of participation in the Coalition, Members and Partners. There is an Executive Council that serves as the governing body of the Healthcare Coalition, a Regional Medical Resource Center that ensures a 24/7 response capability, and there are topic specific focus areas that are addressed by committees, workgroups and project managers.TIERED RESPONSE
The development of a Healthcare Coalition is designed not only to coordinate planning but also to coordinate the flow of information more efficiently during times of crisis.A traditional response structure illustrates multiple organizations directly interfacing with Public Health in response mode. This type of structure can experience immediate overload and cause confusion on information sources.
The Healthcare Coalition Tiered Response Structure provides additional tier in the response that involves the representative executive council for policy level information and decision making and the regional medical resource center for operational information and decision making such as resource management and situational updates. This tiered response structure is taken from the Department of Health and Human Service's report - "Medical Surge Capacity and Capability: A Management System for Integrating Medical and Health Resources During Large-Scale Emergencies".
top
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL GOVERNANCE
The Executive Council serves as the governing body of the Healthcare Coalition. The Council's purpose is to provide leadership for the Coalition, to represent the Coalition in community emergency planning and response, and to ensure that all Coalition members have the opportunity to participate in coordinated, integrated emergency planning and response efforts. The King County Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Structure illustrates the internal organizational framework of Coalition.The Executive Council is designed to be a representative body that reflects the different sectors of the health care system. Council members are selected by sectors to fill specific positions, e.g. hospitals, medical groups, safety net providers. Sectors may elect, appoint, or rotate their representatives. The following information outlines very specific guidelines for the governance of the King County Healthcare Coalition that can be used as a sample when structuring your own Coalition.
Governance Roles
- To provide guidance over the development of the Healthcare Coalition
- Establish a mission and strategic direction
- Determine the Coalition's legal structure and organizational structure
- Determine the scope of services that the Coalition provides
- Approve the Coalition budget
- Establish preparedness planning priorities
- Provide policy level oversight of the Coalition's committees, workgroups, projects and the Regional Medical Resource Center
- Approve regional and health sector emergency preparedness plans
- Identify and address issues to improve the ability of healthcare organizations to prepare for and respond to emergencies
Council Response Roles:
- Represent the Healthcare Coalition in the Unified Command Structure of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with support from the Regional Medical Resource Center and content experts
- Advise public officials on emergency health policy matters
- Identify and address issues to improve the ability of healthcare organizations to prepare for and respond to emergencies
- Participate in Executive Council conference calls and face-to-face meetings as needed during emergency responses
Council Representative Responsibilities
- Attend and participate actively in all meetings of the Executive Council.
- Review materials that are prepared for the Executive Council meetings
- Consider the needs of the entire community in Council deliberations
- Obtain input from other Coalition members from represented healthcare sector on planning and response priorities
- Provide Coalition staff feedback on Coalition operations and planning
Structure
The Council is designed to be a representative body that reflects the different sectors of the healthcare system. Council representatives will be selected by sectors to fill 15 seats for 2-year terms. Sectors may rotate their representatives. Officers
The Executive Council will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair presides over meetings of the Executive Council and general Coalition membership meetings, and represents the Coalition as needed. The Vice-Chair serves in the absence of the Chair and represents the Coalition as needed. Officers will serve 2-year terms.
Meetings
The Executive Council will convene quarterly.
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MEMBERS AND PARTNERS
The Coalition is a voluntary organization that is open to all organizations that provide healthcare services in King County. There are two categories of participation in the Coalition: Members and Partners.
Members and Partners are represented by the following healthcare sectors:
- Home Health and Palliative Care Providers
- Hospitals
- Long Term Care Providers
- Medical Groups
- Mental Health Providers
- Pediatric (Inpatient and Outpatient)
- Safety Net Clinics
- Specialty Providers
- Tribal Clinics
Partners are governmental health agencies and health-related organizations, such as professional or trade associations. Partners in King County include medical equipment suppliers, fire departments, emergency management agencies, EMS and police departments. These organizations usually have their own structure from which to respond during an emergency (ie. fire, police) or might have state responsibilities (ie. hospital associations, home health associations). Partners are non-voting members who may participate in Coalition meetings and serve on Coalition committees and work groups.
Coalition members and partners agree to:
- Share information that is relevant for emergency planning and response, including information about available capacity and resources
- Participate in coordinating and sharing resources through the Regional Medical Resource Center or other mechanisms
- Participate in Coalition preparedness activities, including training and drills
- Maintain current emergency preparedness plans and designate a person who is responsible for emergency preparedness and response.
- Increased community-wide healthcare system emergency response capacity and capability
- The opportunity to participate actively in county-wide emergency preparedness planning, training, and exercising
- Engagement with Coalition members around information sharing, problem solving, and development of best practices
- The opportunity to provide input to local public officials about policy matters during emergency planning and response
- Greater ability to advocate for needed resources and regulatory changes to support effective healthcare system emergency preparedness and response
- Access to timely and reliable information before and during health emergencies
- Access to an organized system for resource sharing and monitoring
REGIONAL MEDICAL RESOURCE CENTER (RMRC)
The King County Regional Medical Resource Center (RMRC) is the operational arm of the Healthcare Coalition. The RMRC will provide resource management and coordination support to Healthcare Coalition members and partners, the Public Health EOC and identified healthcare providers during an emergency, disaster and catastrophe in King County.
RMRC Preparedness Roles:
- Support operational planning for emergency preparedness and response efforts for Healthcare Coalition Committees and Workgroups;
- Develop and Revise the Regional Medical Resource Center Operational Plan;
- Coordinate with the Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Manager to train and exercise the RMRC;
- Provide briefings to the Executive Council on the development of the Regional Medical Resource Center;
RMRC Response Roles:
- Assess, anticipate and prioritize resource needs and requests for the healthcare system based on planning objectives;
- Support the Unified Command Structure of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (EOC);
- Provide healthcare system situational status updates to the Executive Council;
- Coordinate with the Public Health EOC on Strategic National Stockpile requests;
- Coordinate situational updates from and to participating organizations;
- Support implementation of alternate care facilities, regional call center coordination, and altered standards of care;
- Support hospital control in the distribution of patients as needed
