Becker's Hospital Review

54 54 CEO/STRATEGY How to Help Keep Staff Safe When Adverse Weather Strikes: 5 Hospitals Weigh In By Kelly Gooch W hen adverse weather hits — such as the massive winter storm that hammered the East Coast in early January — hospitals spring into action to ensure staff are taken care of. is includes providing sleeping accommodations for employees who can't commute safely, as well as offering them food and essential items. Here, five healthcare organizations discuss how they take care of staff during adverse weather. University of Virginia Health System During severe winter storms, Charlottesville-based University of Vir- ginia Health System converts about 150 exam rooms — which are in a building primarily configured for clinics — into overnight accommo- dations, says Tom Berry, the system's director of emergency manage- ment. Air mattresses are brought in as beds. He says the organization typically doesn't have to set up these accom- modations for longer than 36 hours, and the number of staff taking advantage of overnight accommodations has ranged from two dozen to more than 200. In addition to overnight accommodations, UVA Health System routine- ly provides meal vouchers to employees during winter storms so they can eat in the cafeteria. e organization also tries to provide entertain- ment, such as a movie, along with linens and toiletry kits, as needed. Massachusetts General Hospital Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital typically accommo- dates staff at least a couple times each year during winter storms. e facility's approach is to set up "sleep rooms" for employees, divid- ed based on gender and monitored by security, according to Paul Bid- dinger, MD, medical director for emergency preparedness at MGH. e hospital also ensures food and toiletry kits are available for staff on-site. Dr. Biddinger says the hospital also provides employees with a list of area hotels as well as extra parking spaces and child care support services. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Children's Hospital of Philadelphia sends hospital staff members text and email alerts when there is a winter storm warning or pending weather emergency. ese alerts include information about how to come to work in a safe manner, how to make arrangements if they need to stay overnight and any other relevant information pertaining to the weather event, says Tina Cermignano, senior operations manager for environmental ser- vices and linen, quality assurance and business systems at CHOP. CHOP has more than 500 air mattresses for staff to use if they decide to stay overnight. Accommodations are typically in offices, conference rooms, ancillary areas or clinics that are only open to patients during the day. Patient rooms are not utilized as sleep rooms, and staff are provided sheets, a pillowcase, a towel and a blanket. In addition to the accommodations, CHOP offers meal vouchers to staff if the situation is deemed an emergency by the hospital's emer- gency planning team, says Nancy Schneck, senior director of environ- mental and linen services. Depending on the severity and duration of the storm, staff may also have the opportunity to watch a movie or the news on TVs in the cafeteria. e hospital's Environmental Services Department team not only con- verts CHOP into "hoteling mode" during storms but also during oth- er large events. For instance, the hospital accommodated staff during Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia in 2015. During the dayslong event, no one was permitted to drive in that area of the city. e hospital ac- commodated staff, and its food services team provided meals. "So CHOP is very supportive … [and] will try, depending on the cir- cumstances to support staff to the maximum," Ms. Schneck says. She says supporting staff in this way also plays very heavily into staff engagement and morale, and ultimately how they feel about working at CHOP. Tufts Medical Center Boston-based Tus Medical Center made available 60 private rooms for employee lodging, if needed, during early January's winter storm. It also partnered with local hotels to secure discounted rooms for em- ployees during the snowstorm, according to a Boston Herald report. Tus spokesperson Jeremy Lechan says the hospital typically takes these measures for employees whenever there are particularly adverse weather conditions. NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx, N.Y., initially offered staff cots in a defunct unit during Hurricane Irene in 2011 with about 25 inpatient rooms. Now, having gone through several severe weather events, the facility converts available space that can accommodate 50 to 60 staff overnight, according to Janice Halloran, emergency pre- paredness chairperson and senior associate director of the department of adult and pediatric emergency medicine, hyperbaric medicine and admitting at Jacobi. e medical center provides staff with linens, a bed, a change of clothes and other needed items. "We assign private rooms…, and we have staff on the unit to make sure everyone has what they need," Ms. Halloran says. She says the hospital also provides food and has even provided ice scrapers before for staff to use on their vehicles. Ms. Halloran says all of these efforts wouldn't be possible without the hospitality command center, which is run by the same group of 10 or 15 people during each event. "It's become sort of the norm at this point. It's not just a novelty any- more. It's become part of how we function," she says of the accommo- dation efforts. n "It's not just a novelty anymore. It's become part of how we function." — Janice Halloran, Emergency Preparedness Chairperson, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi

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