Section 515.240  Hospital Preparedness Program

The Department shall distribute federal grant funds as available to hospitals as identified by the Department.  All hospitals regardless of whether they receive federal funds are required to meet the appropriate tier level classification, participate in the Department's preparedness activities and comply with DPH rules.  Each hospital shall meet minimum disaster/all-hazards requirements in one of the following tiers.

a)         Tier Level III – Participating Hospitals

1)         Designate a contact person for disaster/all-hazards preparedness.

2)         Participate in disaster/all-hazards planning and disaster/all-hazards exercises on a regional basis.

3)         Have reference information on treatment of biological agents on site or post the phone number of Illinois Poison Center (IPC).

4)         Implement the System-Wide Crisis Policy and the DPH Emergency Support Function (ESF-8) Plan and provide ongoing education to staff on both.

5)         Have functional medical emergency radio communication of Illinois (MERCI) radio and redundant hospital to hospital communication.

6)         Develop a plan to identify, receive and distribute the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile and/or the State Pharmaceutical Stockpile to hospital staff.

7)         Make training in the recognition and treatment of weapons of mass destruction available to the hospital staff.

8)         Maintain disaster bags and supplies as outlined in the IDPH ESF 8 Plan.

b)         Tier Level II – Non-Regional Hospital Coordinating Centers

This level includes all hospitals that are not regional hospital coordinating center (RHCC) as identified in the IDPH ESF 8 Plan as set in https://dph.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idph/files/publications/idph-esf-8-plan-2018-final-public-version-032718.pdf.  (The RHCC is the lead hospital in a specific Public Health and Medical Services Response Region (PHMSRR)/ EMS region responsible for coordinating disaster medical response upon the activation of the IDPH ESF 8 Plan.)  These hospitals include resource hospitals, associate hospitals and/or trauma centers as designated by the Department.  These hospitals must meet Tier Level III capabilities and the following:

1)         Have communication capability with prehospital care personnel.

2)         Assist with disaster planning and exercises.

3)         Provide list of staff to a RHCC as part of a Regional Emergency Medical Response Team (REMRT), if available.

4)         Resource Hospital Only – Act as a resource for disaster planning and actively participate in the development, education and implementation of the Regional Response Plan.  The Regional Response Plan is developed by the Regional EMS Advisory Committee.

c)         Tier Level I

A Tier Level I hospital is the highest level for a preparedness hospital.  A Level I hospital shall be a Department-designated RHCC hospital as identified in the IDPH ESF8 Plan.  A Tier Level I hospital must meet all the requirements of Tier III and Tier II and additionally meet the following:

1)         Identify a disaster preparedness coordinator to work with the State coordinator for planning and response.

2)         Perform as the lead hospital in a regional or State preparedness exercise.

3)         Perform as the lead in planning and developing a Regional Response Plan, including but not limited to the following: inter-hospital transfers; intra-region transfers; medical surge; disaster bags; medical response teams; and the dissemination of information as it pertains to EMS system activities and the reporting and feedback of such information for EMS providers and emergency departments within the region.  Identify members of the regional healthcare coalition committee, including, at a minimum:

A)        Emergency physicians

B)        EMS coordinators from Resource & Associate Hospitals

C)        Designated contact disaster person at Participating Hospitals

D)        Local health department representative

E)         Hospital administrator

F)         Hospital security representative

G)        Physician specializing in pediatrics, trauma and obstetrics

H)        Representative from a specialized hospital/rehabilitation center

I)          Representative from police, fire and EMS (public and private providers)

J)          ED nurse manager

K)        Infectious disease physician or registered nurse

L)         Legal representative

4)         Maintain regional response equipment and identify staff for a REMRT as available.

5)         Support training and educational programs for health professional staff in region.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 16159, effective November 1, 2024)