Public Health Spotlight: Pandemic Flu | Pandemic Flu Summit > HRSA Preparedness

Oregon Prepares

• Seven health care regions have been established in Oregon for emergency planning, training and response.

• Select staff from hospitals, emergency medical services, local health departments, tribes and federally qualified health centers from these seven regions all participate in planning efforts.

• Members are collaboratively developing plans to help meet the healthcare needs of the population should there be a significant increase in hospital patients - a surge event. These plans will be integrated with the overall state emergency response plans.

• While all response is local through the counties, these planning activities have facilitated cooperation and communication between all agencies and organizations within these regions that are likely to be involved in a public health emergency.

• Oregon has a Hospital Capacity Website that provides a means of tracking emergency room, bed and resource capacity (specific supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals) in each of the 60 hospitals throughout the state. This site allows both regions and the state to have real-time information on these capacities and helps in the management of patient and resource allocation.

• Hospitals and regions are planning how to address the issue of "overwhelming numbers of patients" by considering a number of options, to include use of excess capacity in non-hospital facilities, cancellation of elective surgery, setting up alternate care points to receive patients, etc.

• Oregon is developing a Volunteer Healthcare Registry to allow licensed healthcare workers to pre-register to help provide medical care during public health emergencies.

• Oregon has received and disbursed more than $13 million in HRSA Cooperative Agreement funds in the last four years to hospitals, EMS, tribes, clinics and others to improve their capabilities to respond to public health emergencies. Examples of what is being funded include personal protective equipment, decontamination equipment, negative-pressure isolation capacity, communications equipment, emergency plan development, ventilators, lab equipment and training and exercises relating to public health emergencies.

For More Information:

State HRSA Grant Coordinators
Allan Visnick
971-673-1321
Allan.D.Visnick@state.or.us

Michael Swinhoe
971-673-1318
Michael.A.Swinhoe@state.or.us

Regional HRSA Grant Coordinators

Region 1
Christine Bernsten
503-988-3056, ext. 28751

Kathryn Richer
503-988-3056, ext. 24223

Region 2
Ann Steeves
541-768-6323

Region 3
Tracy DePew
541-784-3660, ext. 202

Region 5
Beth DePew
547-774-8204

Region 6
Pete Kingsley
541-296-7494

Region 7
Mike Surber
541-617-2631

Region 9
Don Hanna
541-910-7716

Print version: Health Care System Preparedness (pdf)