North Country Regional Public Health Emergency Annex
Appendix 5: Volunteer Management
1. Overview
Volunteers play a critical role at the local level during the emergency and recovery phases of a public health emergency. Organizing and training volunteers in advance of an emergency requires significant administrative capacity and resources. Some resources exist for tapping trained, organized volunteers. However, to meet the needs of a statewide or regional emergency, the North Country Public Health Region will need to rely on spontaneous volunteers and pre-registered or pre-credentialed volunteers who will require just-in-time training.
Communities in northern Grafton County, particularly those which are hosting Points of Distribution, Acute Care Centers, or Mass Isolation/Quarantine facilities, are engaged in their own volunteer recruitment activities, as well. The North Country PHR Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Medical Reserve Corps, and the North Country Health Consortium are supporting these communities in the development of their own volunteer recruitment and management infrastructure.
2. Limitations
· The North Country PHR Regional Coordinating Council consists of several agencies in preparation for a public health emergency. These agencies have been involved with public health emergency planning to varying degrees.
· Volunteer agencies serve broader geographic boundaries than the North Country Public Health Region and volunteer resources identified below will by necessity be shared among more than one region in a widespread emergency.
· Pre-identified volunteers who work in healthcare will likely be in demand by their employers. Healthcare organizations that may suspend or alter normal operations in a widespread public health emergency will be tapped to supply staffing for public health emergency functions. Memoranda of Understanding will be drafted with these agencies detailing the expectations.
3. Resources
Northern NH Unit of the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC): Activation through the North Country Health Consortium:
Primary: NCHC MRC Director: Elaine Belanger (w) 259-3700;
(w #2) 603.752.1035;
(h) 603.446.5587;
(c) 617.875.5362
Alternate 1: NCHC MRC Coordinator: Amy Holmes (w) 603.259-3700
(c) 603.616.9172
Alternate 2: NCHC Executive Director: (w) 603.259-3700;
(c) 603.491.0542
The Northern NH Unit of the Medical Reserve Corp serves Coos and northern Grafton Counties. NNH MRC is working closely with RCC to recruit, train, and develop management systems for health professionals who would like to volunteer in an emergency. MRC has the capability to credential health professional volunteers, provide incident and site specific ID badges for volunteer and site security, provide advance training, leadership development, and ‘just-in-time’ training to volunteers, and to provide facility management-level leadership from among the health professionals that have already been recruited. Northern NH MRC is actively recruiting, conducting public education and training in Northern Grafton and Coos Counties.
ESAR-VHP: Access volunteers through Homeland Security and Emergency Management at 603-271-2231.
The ESAR-VHP (Emergency System for Advance Registration of Health Care Professionals) is a database of credentialed health professional volunteers from around NH. The program is designed for the registration and coordination of healthcare personnel who have indicated their interest in volunteering to provide aid in an emergency. NH ESAR-VHP is managed by the NH Department of Safety: Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The goal of the program is to eliminate a number of the significant problems encountered when seeking to use volunteer healthcare professionals in a complex emergency response. For more information contact:
Northern New England Metropolitan Medical Response System: Activated only by the Department of Health and Human Services: 603-271-4501 (Office of the Director), after hours through the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control: 1-800-852-3345 x4496; or the DHHS Incident Command Center: 603-271-7522
The NNE MMRS regional office is based out of the New England Center for Emergency Preparedness (NECEP) at Dartmouth Medical School and trains teams of medical professionals for response in public health disasters.
The Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team (DBHRT): 24/7 contact through Homeland Security and Emergency Management at 603-271-2231.
DBHRT is a statewide organization. The Northern NH DBHRT serves Coos, Carroll, Belknap and Grafton Counties. DBHRT is partnering with HEPT in planning and in cross-training volunteers and public health and safety professionals. DBHRT conducts outreach to community members, trains volunteers, health and human service professionals, and clergy, and collaborates on planning response to a public health disaster.
The Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross: (603) 225-6697 or 1-800-464-6692
The Granite Chapter of the Red Cross serves Coos, Northern and Eastern Grafton, Carroll, Belknap and Merrimack counties. The chapter's office is located at 2 Maitland St. in Concord. The Red Cross has partnered with the North Country Regional Coordinating Committee in planning and exercise activities. In the event of a pandemic event, the Red Cross can assist in feeding and delivering needed supplies to homebound persons. It may also help recruit and mobilize health and mental health professional volunteers in support of and under the direction of public health officials. The Red Cross will not open shelters in response to a pandemic.
4. Volunteer Management and Just-in-Time training sites
The following list of buildings-of-opportunity could be utilized for volunteer training and management.
Littleton
North Country Health Consortium, 262 Cottage Street Suite 230 603.259-3700
Littleton Area Senior Center, 77 Riverglen Lane: 603.444.6050
Community House Annex, 120 Main Street: 603.444.5711
Littleton Learning Center, Gregg Public Safety Academy, 646 Union Street
603.444.9889
Littleton Learning Center, White Mountain Community College, 646 Union Street
603.444.3439
Franconia
Franconia Town Hall, Main Street Franconia, NH 03580: 603.823.7752
Haverhill
Horse Meadow Senior Center, 91 Horse Meadow Rd: 603.787.2539
Haverhill Town Building, 2975 Dartmouth College Highway: 603.787.6800
Lancaster
Lancaster Ambulance Quarters, 19 Mechanic St. Lancaster NH 03584: 603.788.3221
Colebrook
45th Parallel EMS, 46 Ramsey Road, Colebrook, NH 03576: 603.237.5593
Berlin
Berlin Town Hall, 168 Main Street, Berlin NH 03570: 603.752.7532
Appendix A. Medical Reserve Corps Emergency Activation Procedures
The following “Medical Reserve Corps Activation Procedures” are excerpted from the North Country Health Consortium Volunteer Handbook. These procedures were up-dated following a call-down drill of the NNH MRC in May, 2009. This set of procedures will be carried out by North Country Health Consortium staff unless and until volunteers can be contacted and trained to carry out the administrative functions for activation and just-in-time training. Responsibility for volunteer management will remain with staff of the North Country Health Consortium.
MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS EMERGENCY ACTIVATION PROCEDURES
For volunteers with the Northern New Hampshire Medical Reserve Corps (NNH MRC), the following notification procedures will be used in the event of a public health emergency:
1. As soon as the North Country Health Consortium / Northern NH Medical Reserve Corps staff is made aware of the possibility of MRC activation, MRC volunteers will be notified via email with as much factual information as is known about the situation and the potential role of volunteers. This notification is for MRC volunteers to stand-by for more information and possible activation. Northern Grafton Dispatch will also be notified of a possible call-down in the event that the “CodeRED” system will be utilized.
2. Situation up-dates will be provided via email every 24 hours or more, until MRC volunteers are ‘stood-down’ or activated for response in the emergency. Even if no new information exists, MRC volunteers will be contacted every 24 hours after the initial request to stand-by.
3. Notification of activation will be made to volunteers’ home phones and email addresses using the “CodeRED” emergency notification system through Grafton County Sheriff’s Department dispatch center. A current list of Northern NH MRC volunteers will be kept in the “CodeRED” system database. Maintenance of the data base will be coordination through Tom Andross, Director of Communications for Grafton County Dispatch. Activation of the “CodeRED” system can be made through the following numbers:
Grafton County Dispatch non-emergency contact: (603) 787-2111
Grafton County Dispatch 24/7 emergency contact: (603) 787-6911
4. Notification of activation will be made with as much notice as possible to volunteers.
5. MRC volunteers will be asked to respond by phone or email regarding their availability. In-person contact will be made by NCHC staff to confirm availability and volunteers will be given information about their role and/or told where to report for additional information and training.
6. In the case of a large-scale MRC activation, a volunteer management center will be identified. At the volunteer management center, MRC volunteers will
a. Receive an incident-specific photo ID badge,
b. Receive just-in-time training if necessary, and
c. Receive equipment and supplies if necessary.
Information about where and to whom to report will be provided at the volunteer management center.
7. If the situation does not result in an activation of MRC volunteers, email notification will be made to MRC volunteers, and Grafton County Dispatch if applicable, to ‘stand-down’.
Prescriptive Authority: Yes ____ No____ / Hospital/healthcare system affiliation (if any):
D. Other Information
Are you part of any other emergency/disaster response organization? Yes _____ No _____American Red Cross / Salvation Army
CitizensCorps CERT / Other ______
Do you speak any languages other than English? Yes ____ No _____
Please indicate language and level of fluency:
I prefer to: (check all that apply)
Prepare for service in a local emergency/disaster
Prepare for service in distant emergency/disaster
Participate in community health initiative
Participate in a leadership role
Participate in a teaching/training role
Do you have family obligations to consider before responding to an emergency? Yes_____ No_____
E. Medical Professionals Only
Please go to www.iCanHelp.NH.gov and register for NH’s Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Healthcare Professionals (ESAR-VHP) so that your credentials can be verified.
All information is confidential and is for the use of the Medical Reserve Corps in your region. However, in certain circumstances it may be necessary to share this information with emergency management and Health and Human Service agencies.¨ I give my permission for the MRC to release personal information to local, state and federal emergency management agencies and other Health and Human Service agencies as needed.
All of the information I have supplied is correct to the best of my knowledge. I do hereby give my local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) permission to make inquiries concerning licensure and certification. I understand that I am a volunteer and will not be paid for any of my services.
Signature ______Date: ______
MRC Unit:______138______
Privacy & Confidentiaility Policy
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was created in response to growing concerns over the potential threat to an individual’s right to health information privacy caused by rapidly expanding use of the Internet and other electronic media. In its present form, it provides for a uniform floor of privacy protections for most healthcare information, whether electronic, written or oral.
WHAT’S COVERED? All individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by a covered entity in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally.
WHAT’S A COVERED ENTITY? Healthcare providers, clearinghouses, and health plans. North Country Health Consortium is a covered entity under the law.
WHO IS PROTECTED? The consumer.
· Patients have more control over their health information.
· The law sets boundaries on the use and release of medical records.
· It requires safeguards to protect privacy of health information.
· It holds violators accountable, with civil and criminal penalties.
· It enables patients to find out how their information is used.
· It limits the amount of information used or disclosed to the minimum needed for the purpose.
· It gives the patient the right to examine his medical record and request corrections.
WHAT IS North Country Health Consortium‘S POLICY ON THIS? North Country Health Consortium believes that every patient has a right to privacy of his or her medical information. Every employee and every volunteer is required to respect that right to privacy and to comply with the law and with the privacy policy of the North Country Health Consortium. We ask each employee and volunteer to sign a statement saying that they understand and will comply with this policy.
WHAT IF I ACCIDENTALLY HEAR OR SEE SOMETHING I SHOULDN’T? Inadvertant breaches of confidentiality do occur. The main thing is to not repeat what you have seen or heard. However, you should try to correct any situation or circumstance that led to the breach. For example, if a computer screen was left unattended and you accidentally saw information you should not have seen, bring it to your supervisor’s attention. If it is still not corrected, report it to a member of management.
AS A VOLUNTEER, WHAT SHOULD I DO TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW?
· First, do not discuss any individually identifiable health information outside of the requirements of your assignment.
· Second, be aware of your surroundings. If, in your volunteer assignment, it is necessary to discuss a patient, do so where it can’t be overheard. Don’t leave papers lying about.
· Third, read and understand the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy of the North Country Health Consortium. Ask a supervisor if you have any questions before signing your statement of agreement.
VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK
ISSUE DATE: 01/26/2011
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
This handbook is designed to acquaint you with the North Country Health Consortium and Medical Reserve Corp-Northern NH Unit volunteer policies and procedures. It is our objective to provide an environment for our volunteer staff that is conducive to and supportive of personal and professional growth. Volunteers should read, understand, and comply with all provisions of the handbook.
No volunteer handbook can anticipate every need for policies, procedures, or guidelines. The North Country Health Consortium and the NCHC Board of Directors reserves the right to revise, supplement, or rescind any policies or portion of the. Volunteers will, of course, be notified of such changes to the handbook as they occur.
NCHC wishes to thank Weeks Medical Center and Littleton Regional Hospital for contributing to the development of NCHC’s volunteer handbook, policies, and procedures. Some of the text of this document may have been taken directly from the volunteer handbooks of Weeks Medical Center and Littleton Regional Hospital.