I. The EID Preparedness Plan will be activated in response to any one of the following occurrences
A. More than one patient screens positive for an EID.
B. UTMB hospitals receive advance notice that more than one person is being sent to UTMB for a possible EID.
C. Cases of an epidemic/pandemic EID have been diagnosed in Texas or Western Louisiana.
II. Activation of the EID Control Plan
A. If any member of the ED staff should become aware of a case or a possible case of an EID by face-to-face screening of a patient or by outside communication with a person who is a possible EID case or who may be transporting one or move possible cases of an EID to UTMB, they will notify the Healthcare Epidemiologist (HE) and the Director of Healthcare Epidemiology (DHE) immediately.
B. The HE and DHE will determine when the EID Preparedness Plan should be activated taking into consideration the criteria in I. above.
C. When it is determined that the EID Preparedness Plan should be activated, the DHE will call the Administrative Emergency Preparedness Officer.
D. Next the DHE will call the Chief Nursing Officer, the Medical Director for the hospital and Nursing and Medical Director for the Emergency Department.
E. The DHE will notify the Galveston County Health district and the Office of University Advancement (OUA).
III. Initial steps for activation
A. The DHE will then call the 24 hour maintenance hot line at 21586 and request that the negative pressure ventilation be activated for 9D and the triage isolation area in the ED (Negative Pressure Zone).
B. The Control room operator will then:
1. Navigate to the M90 Graphic on the Apogee Work station.
2. Select the 9D EID link and the ED EID link on the graphic which will link to AHU 480 operating graphic.
3. At the AHU Operating graphic. the Operator will select the mode button and change to the EID mode.
C. The control room will contact the designated instrument technician who will be dispatched to switch the differential pressure monitors (DPM) to the active mode.
D. Security will open the door leading from the outside screening area to the negative pressure zone.
E. The local staff on 9D and in the ED will verify the space differential at the local DPM.
F. Security will immediately unlock the doors on the North side of special pediatric exam rooms.
G. The locksmith will be called and the lock cores from the doors on the North side of the Pediatric rooms will be moved to the doors on the South side of the rooms. The South doors will then be locked.
H. Security will lock the double doors in the hall way between the Pediatric ER and the negative pressure area.
I. The Emergency Preparedness Officer will announce that an external disaster exists (see Institutional Plan).
J. Dispatch will update EM Systems.
K. The incident commanders will be the Administrative Emergency Preparedness Officer and the Institutional Emergency Preparedness Officer.
L. The Medical Chiefs will be the Healthcare Epidemiologist and the Medical Director of the ED.
M. The following departments/services will activate their staff to accommodate the influx of patients making use of their EID protocols.
1. ED nurses.
2. ED physicians.
3. Pediatric ID physicians.
4. Adult ID physicians.
5. Pulmonary and Critical Care physicians.
6. Transportation.
7. Radiology.
8. MICU nursing.
9. Environmental Services.
10. Infusion services nursing.
11. Admitting.
12. Clinical laboratories.
N. Tables and chairs will be brought to the screening area by the special projects coordinator or charge nurse from their secured location in the ED.
O. PPE and office supplies will be brought to the screening area from a secured location in the ED.
IV. Completion of Control Plan activation
A. Other departmental policies will be activated by phone with a call at 8:00 AM on the first weekday following activation of the Control Plan.
B. Other departments/services to be notified:
1. Employee Health Services.
2. Outpatient clinics administration.
3. Sterile Processing.
4. Laundry.
5. Dietary service.
6. Anatomical Pathology.
7. TDCJ Hospital Galveston.
| 
