GIS in Hospital and Healthcare Emergency Management

Illustrating a wide range of practical applications, GIS in Hospital and Healthcare Emergency Management explains how hospitals and healthcare facilities can improve their emergency management and disaster preparedness through the use of GIS. The text aims to raise the level of understanding of the role of GIS in emergency management planning among hospital healthcare emergency managers, risk managers, decision-makers, and regulating and accrediting organizations. The author covers spatial aspects of planning, preparedness, response, and recovery. A CD-ROM with color images, useful forms, exercises, and additional resources is also included.

Ric Skinner, a Certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP), is an experienced consultant and researcher whose expertise includes health geographics, hospital & healthcare preparedness, GIS and environmental monitoring and assessment. He is internationally recognized for "pushing the GIS envelope" in diverse hospital/healthcare areas: clinical/medical, health services & resources, and "hospital-land" security. He has fifteen years experience in "Health Geographics", a term he coined in the mid-1990s to recognize the application of GIS technology in hospitals and healthcare. In addition to his career in Health Geographics Ric has 23 years experience as a Certified Fisheries Scientist and Certified Environmental Professional in environmental monitoring and assessment, including fisheries ecology, aquatic bioassay/biomonitoring, state & federal environmental permitting, wetlands assessment & mitigation, and facility siting. During his Health Geographics career (1994-present) Ric has provided independent consulting services to hospitals and a national health information company, held a position as Senior Research Scientist for three years (1999-2001) with the New Jersey Dept. of Health and Senior Services, Cancer Epidemiology Service/State Cancer Registry, and served as the Health Dept.'s representative on the NJ GIS Committee. In 2001, he provided GIS support to CDC during its anthrax bioterrorism investigation at NJ postal facilities by creating internal maps of equipment, personnel areas, and ventilation system for CDC's analysis of FBI and NIOSH anthrax sampling locations. More recently (2002-2007), Ric served as Program Manager at Baystate Medical Center's Health Geographics Program (HGP; Springfield, MA) -- the only hospital-based full time GIS department in the U. S. While there, he managed the HGP team and participated in a variety of GIS projects including epidemiology, automated vehicle dispatch & tracking/GPS systems, facilities management, hospital/healthcare preparedness, Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, and medical/clinical research. He served on the hospital's Emergency Management Committee. In June 2007 he participated as a healthcare representative during the Joint Chiefs of Staff Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, Trial 3.27 - Integrated Information Management System. He served as a Civilian Emergency Manager Role Player and provided numerous briefings to visiting U.S. and European military and defense contractors during the two week's assignment in Dahlgren, VA. Currently Ric has his own consultancy, The Stoneybrook Group LLC. It is a Veteran-owned Business based in Sturbridge, MA, and offers services to clients in hospital/healthcare preparedness, health geographics, and GIS. He has been a Role Player, Observer, and Controller in several HSEEP Table Top and Functional exercises. Ric initiated and co-chaired the International Health Geographics Conference held in 1998 (Baltimore, MD) and 2000 (Washington, DC). He co-edited the book Geographic Information Systems and Health Applications (2003) and has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications, presentations and reports on topics in hospital preparedness, Health Geographics and environmental management. He is a co-founder and on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Health Geographics (www.ij-healthgeographics.com). He actively participates in IAEM, BCPWHO, DMIS-SIG, OPEN-SIG, EIIP, Yahoo Groups Emergency Management Forum, Google Groups Hospital Emergency Management Forum, and URISA (including his role as Program Co-chair for the URISA GIS/Public Health Conf. June 2009).

The Evolving Role of Geographic Information Systems in Hospital and Healthcare Emergency Management. Conceptual Approaches. A Spatial Approach to Hazard Vulnerability Analysis by Healthcare Facilities. Using GIS to Improve Workplace and Worker Safety Crisis Management. Infectious Disease Surveillance and GIS: Applications for Emergency Management. Role of GIS in Interagency Healthcare Logistical Support during Emergencies. Design Concept for a Location-Based Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Healthcare Facilities. Applications. Trauma Center Siting, Optimization Modeling, and GIS. Healthcare Facility Disaster Planning: Using GIS to Identify Alternate Care Sites. Multiscale Enterprise GIS for Healthcare Preparedness in South Carolina. Hospital Preparedness Planning for Evacuation and Sheltering with GIS in South Carolina. Making Sense Out of Chaos: Improving Prehospital and Disaster Response. Case Stories. Disaster Preparedness for Influenza at a Community Hospital Network: A Case Study Using GIS. Disaster Preparedness and Response for Vulnerable Populations: Essential Role of GIS for Emergency Medical Services during the San Diego County 2007 Firestorm. Natural Disasters and the Role of GIS in Assessing Need. GIS Application and a Regionalized Approach for Mass Casualty Incident Planning. Building a GIS Common Operating Picture for Integrated Emergency Medical Services and Hospital Emergency Management Response.