On this episode of Transmission Interrupted, we delve into the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and its importance in responding to special pathogens and other emergencies. Join host Jill Morgan and special guests Kyesha Turner from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Darrell Ruby from Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington, and Ryan Tuckmeyer from Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, as they share their experiences and insights on how HICS ensures readiness, coordination, and effective response in the face of various scenarios.

The discussion will also touch on the importance of building foundations and solid structures for emergency management and provide information on available HICS resources and tools, including a new online HICS training course now available at NETEC. Join us on this informative episode of Transmission Interrupted as we uncover the intricacies of HICS for Special Pathogens Preparedness and explore the dynamic world of incident management in health care today.

GuestsDarrell Ruby, CEM®, NEMAA 

Special Pathogen Program/Region 10 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) 

Providence Inland Northwest Washington  

Darrell Ruby is the Regional Coordinator for the HHS Region 10 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC), 1 of 13 in the nation at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. Darrell has worked as an Emergency Manager for nearly 20 years at the local, regional, and state level when he was with Spokane Emergency Management and for the last 8 years at Providence. As an Emergency Manager for Providence Inland Northwest Washington, he was responsible for the Emergency Management Program for the five (5) Providence hospitals in Spokane and Stevens County that represent just over 1,000 licensed beds: a level 2 and 3 trauma centers for adults and pediatrics, two 25-bed Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), a specialty rehab facility, and stand-alone Ambulatory Surgery Center. He started working for Providence in September 2015. Prior to work at Providence, Darrell worked for the Spokane Department of Emergency Management for 11 years, as the Regional Coordinator for Washington State Homeland Security (HLS) Region 9 (6 years) and as a Program Coordinator (5 years). Region 9 is comprised of the 10 counties and three tribes of Eastern Washington. In that role, he supported regional collaboration, coordination, and an interagency approach to all-hazard emergency preparedness. He has worked in all phases of emergency management, supporting planning, training, and exercises, HLS grants, and grant-related projects. Darrell continues to support community-wide planning on behalf of Providence. Darrell has an undergraduate degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in business, and retired from the naval reserve as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer December 1, 2015 (12 years active, 13 years reserve). He is most proud to be happily married (30+ years) and the father of three kids +1 (married daughter). 

Ryan Tuchmayer, MPH, CEM  

Director of Emergency Management  

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 

 Ryan is the Director of Emergency Management for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He organizes the medical center’s emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. He also serves as a liaison between hospitals, clinics, and pre-hospital providers in the western region of Los Angeles. County. He is a member of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team for Los Angeles County (DMAT CA-9) and has deployed for exercises and disaster events, including hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. He is also a member of the California Medical Assistance Team and has deployed for wildfires responses. 

Kyesha Turner, MPA, AEM  

Manager, Emergency Management Department of Quality & Safety  

Emory University Hospital 

Kyesha Turner is the Emergency Manager for Emory University Hospital, Emory Rehab Hospital, Emory Wesley Woods Hospital, and Emory Orthopedic and Spine Hospital in Atlanta. Prior to relocating to Georgia, she served at NYC Health + Hospitals Central Office Emergency Management as Director of Training, Exercises, and response for 11 acute care hospitals, 5 skilled nursing facilities, and 7 FQHC's, as well as Associate Director of Emergency Services and Preparedness for NYC H + H/North Central Bronx Hospital. Kyesha Turner holds a Master of Public Administration Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Metropolitan College of New York, ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management System Lead Auditor Certification, and is highly trained in HSEEP, Exercise Design, NIMS, and Incident Command. Ms. Turner is motivated by a passion and desire to help build resilient organizations and communities. 

HostJill Morgan, RN

Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA

Jill Morgan is a registered nurse and a subject matter expert in personal protective equipment (PPE) for NETEC. For 35 years, Jill has been an emergency department and critical care nurse, and now splits her time between education for NETEC and clinical research, most of it centering around infection prevention and personal protective equipment. She is a member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), ASTM International, and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

Resources

NETEC HICS Roles and Responsibilities: Considerations for Special Pathogens Activations online course: https://courses.netec.org/courses/hics-roles-and-responsibilities-considerations-for-special-pathogens-activations

California Hospital Association Hospital Incident Command System training: https://www.calhospitalprepare.org/hics

California Emergency Medical Services Authority HICS Job Action Sheets (JAS): https://emsa.ca.gov/hospital-incident-command-system-job-action-sheets-2014/

NETEC: https://netec.org

NETEC Resource Library: https://repository.netecweb.org

About NETECA Partnership for Preparedness

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center’s mission is to set the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across health systems in the U.S. with the goals of driving best practices, closing knowledge gaps, and developing innovative resources.

Our vision is a sustainable infrastructure and culture of readiness for managing suspected and confirmed special pathogen incidents across the United States public health and health care delivery systems.

For more information, visit NETEC on the web at www.netec.org.

NETEC Consultation Services

Assess and Advance Your Readiness for Special Pathogens with Free, Expert Consulting.

NETEC offers free virtual and onsite readiness consulting to help health care facilities and EMS agencies prepare for special pathogen events. Our targeted support services are delivered by experts selected and assigned to each inquiry based on the unique needs of your organization. Have a question? Ask a NETEC expert.

For more information on NETEC Consultation Services, visit: netec.org/consulting-services.