Welcome to Central Montana Medical Center

HAvBED ACTIVATION

Click Here for Printable Version

POLICY:
Hospital Available Beds for Emergencies and Disasters (HAvBED) System is a federal requirement that all states have immediate access to hospital bed availability to which patients could be transported immediately during an emergency or disaster. Central Montana Medical Center will comply with Federal requirements to participate in the HAvBED System as outlined by the DPHHS.

PURPOSE:
If a mass casualty event or public health emergency occurred, it may be necessary to provide healthcare assistance to other hospital patients or victims within the state of Montana or, possibly, nationwide. The HAvBED system is a method of reporting / tracking hospital bed availability to assist the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during a disaster or event. To ensure that patients receive the highest level of care during an emergency, it is essential to know where the necessary resources are in realtime. This HAvBED System is designed to give emergency operations managers a realtime view of specific hospital bed availability on a large geographic scale.

DEFINITIONS:

Vacant / Available beds:
Beds that are vacant and to which patients can be transported immediately. These must include supporting space, equipment, medical material, ancillary and support services, and staff to operate under normal circumstances. These beds are licensed, physically available, and have staff on hand to attend to the patient who occupies the bed.

Adult Intensive Care (ICU):
Can support critically ill / injured patients, including ventilator support.

Medical / Surgical:
Hospital beds utilized for medical or post surgical patients. Also termed “ward” beds.

Burn or Burn ICU:
Either approved by the American Burn Association or self designated. (These beds should not be included in other ICU bed counts.)

Pediatric ICU:
The same as adult ICU, but for patients 17 years and younger.

Pediatrics:
Ward medical /surgical beds for patients 17 and younger

Psychiatric:  Ward beds on a closed / locked psychiatric unit or ward beds where a patient will be attended by a sitter.

Negative Pressure / Isolation:
Beds provided with negative airflow, providing respiratory isolation.

(Note:  This value may represent available beds included in the counts of other types. Include available ante room(s) that can be assembled and connected to a ward room.)

Operating Rooms:
An operating room that is equipped and staffed and could be made available for patient care in a short period of time.

Decontamination Unit:
Identification of facility availability to decontamination unit. Must list number of hours until unit operable.

Emergency Department:
Number of patients that can be taken care of in the ED per CMMC policy.

ED status:
Identification of whether the Emergency room is receiving patients or is in a divert status.

Divert:
Hospital beds of specified origin are occupied and the facility is no longer receiving that category of patient at the time of request.

PROCEDURE:

I.Notification of Activation

A.Verbal Notification: This live phone call from DPHHS will announce “HAvBED has been activated, please respond”.

Primary Phone Number:
1.DPHHS will notify CMMC main hospital switchboard phone number,(406) 535-7711, for facility alert of HAvBED activation.

2.The hospital switchboard will notify the Utilization Review Coordinator and the ER Supervisor via pagegate that HAvBED has been activated. If the above named individuals are not available in-house, the Emergency Room Supervisor and Acute Care Ward clerk will then be notified. The Utilization Review Coordinator will notify the Emergency Preparedness Chair of HAvBED activation.

Secondary Phone Number:
1.The alternate phone number for notification of HAvBED activation is the CMMC Emergency Room, (406) 535-6220.

B.Facsimile Notification:  Following verbal notification of HAvBED activation, transmission of the HAvBED Information Sheet will be sent via fax line from DPHHS.

(Note:   The Acute Care and SNC fax machines MUST BE PLUGGED IN TO EMERGENCY POWER BACKUP at all times.)

Primary Fax Number:   DPHHS will utilize the Acute Care department fax line, (406) 535-4697, to send the HAvBED Information Sheet for facility completion.

Secondary Fax Number:  The alternate fax line for transmission of the HAvBED Information sheet will be CMMC SNC department, (406) 535-6325. If SNC department receives the fax transmission, the Utilization Review Coordinator MUST BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. If UR Coordinator unavailable, fax sheet will be directed to the ER Supervisor.

C. Email Notification:  DPHHS will notify the Emergency Preparedness Chair of HAvBED activation via email.

II. Completion of HaVBed information sheet

A.Once HAvBED Information Sheet is received in the facility, it will be directed IMMEDIATELY to the Utilization Review Coordinator.

B.The UR Coordinator is responsible for completion and submission of the form. Immediate return of bed availability status, through submission of the Information Sheet, is essential to the functional efficiency of the HAvBED system.

C.The UR Coordinator will consult as needed with the ER, SNC, OR and Acute Care departments on available bed status.

D.The Information Sheet will be completed and then faxed to DPHHS within the requested time frame listed on the Information Sheet.

E.If the UR Coordinator is not available the Information Sheet will be directed to the ER Supervisor and then given to the Acute Care Ward clerk for completion and submission. Once the form is completed, the Acute Care Ward clerk is required to have the ER Supervisor review the form for accuracy prior to submission to DPHHS.

F.Once Information Sheet is faxed to DPHHS, the individual sending the fax will place the date and time fax was sent and their initials at the top of the sheet. Original Information Sheet will be routed to the Emergency Preparedness chair.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207