Presentation Transcript
Visiting Nurse Service of New York: Pandemic Flu Planning: Visiting Nurse Service of New York: Pandemic Flu Planning Shelly Raffle, Manager
Emergency Response System
June 20, 2007
VNSNY: Agency Overview: VNSNY: Agency Overview Founded in 1893, VNSNY is the oldest and largest Home Health Care agency in the country
Average Daily Census: 25,000
Over 100,00 admissions annually
Multiple programs covering acute, long-term and community based care
VNSNY: Agency Overview: VNSNY: Agency Overview Service area includes all five boroughs of New York City, plus Westchester and Nassau Counties
21 VNS facilities
Over 10,000 employees, including 3,600 nursing staff and over 5,300 home health aides
Home Care Providers: On the Front Line in a Pandemic: Home Care Providers: On the Front Line in a Pandemic We see them first –
~ From the VNS archives ~
Obstacles to Home Care Service Delivery/Operations: Obstacles to Home Care Service Delivery/Operations Ensuring that home care services are seen by public health officials as an essential component of the overall health care system
Ensuring staff coverage to deliver services to the most vulnerable cases over a long-term event
Protection of staff – augmenting personal protective equipment
Staff training – there are no funding dollars for home care
Planning Drivers: Planning Drivers Pandemic Flu Exercise 2005:
Clinical staff work in operational silos – a key obstacle in an incident that results in staffing shortages
Report to Work Survey 2006:
Identified that staff who work in the region where they live increases the odds of them being willing to report to work in an emergency
Response Initiatives: Response Initiatives Redeployment of field staff across programs
Redeployment of non-critical office/program staff
Telework for office-based staff
Emergency modification of HR policies; augmentation of current policies/procedures
Response Initiatives: Response Initiatives Augmentation of critical clinical supplies
Contracts with multiple vendors
Coordination with NYCDHMH – receipt of anti-virals for distribution to patients and staff reporting symptoms.
Support efforts by State HCA to work with NYSDOH to identify and modify key regulations (i.e. scope of practice)
Response Initiatives: Response Initiatives Risk Communications Plan to address needs of staff, patients and other stakeholders – it starts NOW!
Develop & implement psychological support mechanisms for duration of event.
What is Needed: What is Needed Greater awareness and responsiveness from public health sector about the critical role of home health care: coordination in planning, exercising and funding.
Sharing ‘best practices.’
Thank You!: Thank You! For more information, contact
Shelly Raffle, Manager
Visiting Nurse Service of New York
Emergency Response System
1250 Broadway, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001
212-609-7564
sraffle@vnsny.org