WHO WE ARE

We have a passionate multidisciplinary team that meets monthly to focus on pediatric preparedness.  Our Pediatric Disaster Task Force (PDTF) has worked hard to integrate the Stead Family Children's Hospital into the overall University of Iowa Health Care system and existing emergency operations plans. 

The PDTF has worked to identify and operationalize a special pediatric emergency care overflow area during mass casualties.Through drills and tabletop exercises we are working to provide continuity of care from the time pediatric patients would arrive in the emergency department until they are reunified with their families.

Our disaster exercises always include pediatric patients/victims. Our use of “paper patients” has allowed us to do “Drills in a Box” that work well for staff on shift without taking away from care. Moulage skills with role players have proved invaluable in simulating real events. Finally, outreach and coordination with community partners have provided a steady stream of volunteers who are ready to help during exercises and drills.

Additionally, working with the UIHC Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) staff, we are especially proud of our Reunification Center that is activated for disasters in their building. The CDD staff has taken ownership of the program and identified a team with a formal structure to help respond and reunify pediatric patients with their families. 

While our pediatric care team has been represented in the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), a recent exercise that involved predominantly pediatric victims and staff has resulted in our developing a larger HICS Pediatric Task Force that will be activated during incidents and report to the Operations Section Chief.

We are currently participating in the Pediatric Preparedness Network's Disaster Networking Collaborative. During this initiative, we are looking at ways to strengthen partnerships, increase communication, and advance support for our pediatric professionals.

We are especially proud to have our own Dr. Kari Wellnitz as a co-leader of the R7DHRE Pediatric Specialty Team with Dr. Jennifer Watts. They have led the advancement of pediatric preparedness throughout Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Their efforts and knowledge have been vital during last year’s pediatric respiratory illness surge. Those actions and lessons learned have helped Region 7 navigate another difficult respiratory season.

When a mass casualty incident (MCI) occurs, regardless of cause, families will naturally seek out their loved ones, information about the event, and resources to help them recover. As they do this, they will have four fundamental concerns/needs: 

1. Determining if their loved one was involved in the incident; 

2. Determining the whereabouts and welfare of their loved one; 

3. Obtaining information about the incident and available resources; and 

4. Receiving their loved one’s personal effects. 

Lessons from past incidents have shown the importance of providing a mechanism for family members to obtain information regarding the location and status of their loved ones. As such, the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) has the Patient Family Assistance Branch Director built into its organization, and this position should be activated as early as possible in an MCI. 

Family reunification/support can take different forms depending on the incident/jurisdiction. These include:  

As with any emergency situation scenario, it is important to not only plan for, but to also maintain and test your plan. Utilize any upcoming drills/exercises at your facility to practice your family reunification plan. It’s important to remember when you treat a patient, you are also treating their family/loved ones. Having a plan for family reunification/support is a great way to accomplish that. 

Helpful Resources for Family Reunification

• ASPR TRACIE Topic Collection: Family Reunification and Support  
• LA County Family Information Center Planning Guide for Healthcare Facilities 
• Orlando Health white paper on supporting non-resident/foreign citizen patients 
• BEYOND PATIENT CARE: FAMILY REUNIFICATION PLANNING FOR HOSPITALS 

• The National Infection Control Strengthening (NICS) team recently launched their  "Behind the Mask" Webinar Series. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University Nebraska Medical Center, in partnership with Nebraska Medicine, NICS was selected as an innovation partner as part of Project Firstline with a focus on strengthening infection prevention and control programs in healthcare facilities in underserved areas to develop innovative programs, services, and product development strategies to strengthen IPC nationally and globally. To learn more about their upcoming webinars and to view their most recent one, click the button below. 

• Climate and Health in Region 7 – Understanding the Impacts and Preparing for the Future | Mar 6, 2024 12:30 PM CST

National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference