Disaster, pandemic readiness remains serious business for providers, suppliers and communities

They never can be too prepared; they never can be totally prepared.

While experts acknowledge that it’s somewhat "easier" to be ready to handle the aftermath of a man-made or natural disaster or even terrorist attack, they also concede that all bets are off when responding to the aftershocks of a pandemic.

Throwing a wrench in any and all plans is the proverbial "X" factor, a powerful, emotionally based physiological reaction to events: Public panic.

Volunteers from the American Red Cross' Ready When the Time Comes (RWTC) program put together clean-up kits. Grainger is the National Founding Sponsor of the program, which trains corporate volunteers to prepare for and assist during local emergencies.

Depending on who you talk to, where you look, what you read and how you "Google," healthcare providers and suppliers either are woefully short-sighted, in denial and ill-prepared for major calamities and catastrophes or simply making necessary progress to the tune of "we’re better off now than we were before."

As far back as the 1990s, awareness was more of the issue, despite the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the domestic terrorist attack on the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, and floods, hurricanes, mudslides and wildfires, as well as Hollywood-based films and made-for-television movies.

Enter the new millennium. Within the last eight years, the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 served as tentpoles earmarking a decade that also included the SARS outbreak and tsunami in Southeast Asia, and a steady stream of recurring earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, mudslides and wildfires, among others. Federal, state, local and healthcare organization-related responses, by and large, earned mixed reviews but authorities gained valuable experience with each event that helped make the next that much more manageable – at least on paper.

"What we have seen in the last seven years has been a sort of renaissance in awareness of the threats that may loom on the horizon," said John Pierson, manager of marketing and product development, regional sales manager – Canada, Fiberlock Technologies Inc., Andover, MA. "We have made incredible steps forward in increasing our level of preparedness, but more importantly we have become innately aware of how much work is yet to be done. Our nation has taken unprecedented steps in assuring a more positive outcome in the event of a natural disaster, pandemic outbreak or bio-terror event. We have created cabinet-level positions to address national security as well as increased funding for preparedness into the billions annually. Our healthcare facilities have focused on training and inventory management and our emergency response teams have developed new comprehensive response plans."

But has enough been accomplished? "I am not sure that the answer to that question can ever be yes," Pierson continued. "This path to emergency preparedness is more of a journey than a destination. For every gap in the system we address, new vulnerabilities appear. The nature of the beast is that the threats we face are a mixture of known and unknown dangers. The questions that we have to address are when (will it happen), how (large will the impact be both socially and economically), where (should we have our resources in place) and most of all, what (form will this disaster take)."

Pierson observed that many preparedness experts show "cautious optimism in the progress we have made" while some show "a more cynical view of what we have yet to complete."

Sandra Taylor, Grainger Inc.

Sandra Taylor, vice president, corporate accounts, W.W. Grainger Inc., Chicago, gives healthcare’s overall preparation performance within the last seven years passing grades, saying she thinks they are "headed in the right direction.

"We are seeing our healthcare customers taking a more proactive approach to crisis and emergency preparedness in their operations and healthcare facilities are increasingly becoming trained in crisis management," Taylor noted. "In fact, Grainger sponsors day-long emergency preparedness training events across the U.S. where we bring in suppliers and other subject matter experts to help emergency management professionals become more familiar with the solutions that Grainger offers to help meet their emergency preparedness needs.

"Although our sales force is noticing some gaps in areas such as evacuation and fatality management," she continued, "overall, hospitals are greatly improving their situational awareness and response to emergency ."

But Taylor conceded that basic crisis management isn’t as pervasive as it should be, which is why Grainger gives educational efforts about the reality of emergency situations a high priority. "Although we are seeing an increase with our healthcare customers in the planning and execution of their crisis plans, there are still a number of facilities that still harbor the mentality that ‘this won’t happen to us,’" she indicated.

Pierson concurred. "What we are seeing nationally is an overall level of raised awareness, but this doesn’t always transfer directly to appropriate planning or confidence," he said. Pierson cited statistics from the not-for-profit Trust for America’s Health that classified on a 0-10 scale, state preparedness scores ranging from as low as six, in states like Nevada, Louisiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, to 10 in states like Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

"What this tells us is, as a nation we are progressing at varying speeds regarding readiness for a potential disaster or biological event," Pierson continued. "This is not a race we can afford to leave any state behind. The fact that one highly prepared state could be surrounded by unprepared neighbors directly affects the outcome of all states involved. As a nation we must press for more comprehensive planning and synergy between states. Natural disasters and biological agents do not have respect for borders, nor will they only impact the more prepared states, so resources and plans must be shared across borders."

Grainger has ramped itself up, broadening its product line to include not just maintenance repair and operating supplies needed in times of emergency, such as gloves, fans and generators, but also critical products included in the preparedness guidelines established by the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness Response (ASPR), such as evacuation, communication, mass surge, decontamination, isolation and personal protection equipment and supplies, according to Taylor. Such products include air respirators, decontaminations/isolation tents, patient tracking equipment and mass cache PODs.

Taylor highlighted Grainger’s scale and mass distribution network throughout the U.S. – nine distribution centers and more than 500 branches, and its team for helping healthcare facilities get the products they need to prepare for and respond during emergencies. When a hospital in Texas lost power for two weeks during Hurricane Ike back in early September, she cited as an example, Grainger employees staged a help desk on the campus to manage supply access.

Taylor noted, however, that crisis management extends beyond product mix and distribution capabilities. "Disaster readiness is not only about having the appropriate equipment, but having a team of professionals that know how and when to use that equipment," she said. "While inventory levels are ultimately determined by the institution, having appropriate minimum levels of equipment will be the differentiator in a solid response. Those items with no shelf-life that can be pushed into common service, such as N-95 masks, would be the type of item facilities should have in-stock. In addition, disaster response requires more training and partnerships with community responders so everybody understands their role and responsibility."