Access the BETA Healthcare Group Toolkit titled “Organization-Wide Management of Emergency Department Patient Surge Capacity” on our ED Toolkit page at: https://betahg.com/risk-management-and-safety/beta-rm-ed/beta-ed-toolkit/. This Toolkit provides a host of tools and techniques for addressing patient surges that can rapidly overwhelm a facility and can prove useful now in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and in the future.

Facilities may be reviewing their house-wide Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) [disaster plan] and activating their Hospital Incident Command Center in preparation for the anticipated surge in patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19 (and continued treatment of those routinely requiring critical care or isolation beds). If facilities have not updated or reviewed their EOP within the past few years, excellent recently updated forms and guidance can be found on the California Hospital Association (CHA) website: https://www.calhospitalprepare.org/emergency-operations-plan