The Decontamination cabinet project is a great example of the coalition community working together to improve healthcare preparedness in the region. Thanks to the Northeast Tennessee Healthcare Preparedness Coalition’s partnership with our regional EMS services and our local health system, our region has seen the strategic placement of three specially equipped decontamination cabinets at hospital facilities in our region.
The members of our coalition are driven by a desire for excellence. It is this drive that led our partners to identify an opportunity for process improvement. Together, our EMS providers and the health system developed a system for speeding the return of EMS units to active service following the transport of a potential or confirmed COVID-positive patient. By deploying specially equipped cabinets with the tools and supplies needed for decontamination of transport units at the hospital, ambulances could be sanitized and ready for their next assignment within 20-30 minutes without the need to return to their stations.
Partnership In Action
Health Systems:
provides a physical location for the cabinet and the power needed to charge batteries for disinfection devices and powering UV-C lights.
EMS Systems:
provides training to personnel and maintains inventory of supplies.
Healthcare Coalition:
serves as a conduit for community stakeholders to connect and support the effort; Provided funds for initial cabinet purchases, installation labor, and the purchase of disinfection devices.
Connecting the community for the benefit of the region and uniting resources is the bedrock of the Northeast Tennessee Emergency Preparedness Coalition. It is exciting to see projects like this one making a difference in the community.
