CHSP Emergency Preparedness and Response 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the threshold at which a healthcare facility transitions from conventional to contingency and ultimately to crisis standards of care during a surge event?
- Incident escalation matrix
- The continuum of care capacity (Correct answer)
- Maximum Allowable Downtime (MAD)
- Surge capacity tipping point
Correct answer: The continuum of care capacity
The continuum of care capacity (conventional → contingency → crisis) describes how facilities adapt operations as demand exceeds available resources during surge events.
Question 2: When a hospital's Incident Commander declares an internal disaster, which action should occur FIRST according to HICS principles?
- Notify local media to manage public information
- Activate the Hospital Command Center and notify key leadership (Correct answer)
- Begin patient discharge and diversion procedures
- Contact FEMA for federal resource assistance
Correct answer: Activate the Hospital Command Center and notify key leadership
Upon internal disaster declaration, the Hospital Command Center must be activated and key leadership notified first to establish unified command and situational awareness.
Question 3: A hospital's emergency operations plan must address which four phases of emergency management as required by CMS and The Joint Commission?
- Identify, Assess, Control, Recover
- Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery (Correct answer)
- Prevention, Detection, Containment, Eradication
- Planning, Training, Exercising, Evaluating
Correct answer: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery
CMS and The Joint Commission require emergency management programs to address all four phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
Question 4: During a prolonged utility failure, which fuel supply requirement does CMS mandate for hospital emergency generators?
- 24-hour supply on-site with a vendor contract for resupply
- 72-hour supply on-site or a documented resupply agreement (Correct answer)
- 7-day supply stored in an approved off-site location
- 96-hour supply on-site with no exceptions permitted
Correct answer: 72-hour supply on-site or a documented resupply agreement
CMS requires hospitals to maintain a 72-hour on-site fuel supply for emergency generators, or have a documented agreement ensuring resupply within that timeframe.
Question 5: Which risk assessment methodology is MOST commonly used by healthcare facilities to prioritize emergency planning efforts by evaluating the probability and impact of various hazards?
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) (Correct answer)
- Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
Correct answer: Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)
The Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) is the standard tool used by healthcare facilities to systematically assess and prioritize risks based on probability, impact, and preparedness.
Question 6: Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which obligation applies to a hospital during a declared national emergency?
- EMTALA obligations are automatically suspended during any federally declared emergency
- Hospitals must continue to provide a medical screening exam to anyone presenting for care unless a CMS waiver is granted (Correct answer)
- Hospitals may divert all patients to alternate care sites without restriction
- EMTALA only applies to patients transported by EMS during emergencies
Correct answer: Hospitals must continue to provide a medical screening exam to anyone presenting for care unless a CMS waiver is granted
EMTALA obligations remain in effect during emergencies unless CMS grants a specific 1135 waiver, which requires a federal and state emergency declaration.
Question 7: In healthcare emergency preparedness, what is the primary function of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a neighboring facility?
- To satisfy OSHA recordkeeping requirements during emergencies
- To pre-establish mutual aid agreements for sharing staff, supplies, and equipment during disasters (Correct answer)
- To transfer liability for patient outcomes during surge events
- To document post-incident financial reimbursement from FEMA
Correct answer: To pre-establish mutual aid agreements for sharing staff, supplies, and equipment during disasters
MOUs pre-establish mutual aid agreements that legally define the terms for sharing resources — including staff, supplies, and equipment — between facilities during declared emergencies.
CHSP Emergency Preparedness and Response 5
Which concept describes the threshold at which a healthcare facility transitions from conventional to contingency and ultimately to crisis standards of care during a surge event?