HAP Blog

Twenty-twenty was an incredibly difficult year for everyone. Just weeks into the year—on January 27—the HAP emergency management (EM) team activated for the COVID-19 event. As we approach the anniversary of our activation, and look back on the year that was, we see the ways that COVID-19 changed how we do things, as well as some essential lessons that will guide us as we plan for future emergencies.

While emergency departments effectively triage patients, all patients—including those requiring behavioral health services—often face long delays in finding post-acute services. For patients in need of behavioral health services, these delays are often due to inpatient and outpatient treatment capacity issues.

HAP has been monitoring national trends in supply shortages and has compiled a few suggestions as members continue to address increased patient loads and the requisite demand for needed supplies.

This week, health care workers in Pennsylvania and across the country welcomed news of the distribution of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Months of planning for this vaccine has been condensed to weeks and days, as hospitals have had to focus on strict guidelines for the storage, allocation, and distribution of the vaccine, in order to maximize every available dose. 

As health care emergency management professionals, it is important to stay on top of what is happening and be in the know. The ability to continuously understand what is happening within our facility, in our region, or across the commonwealth is key to taking advantage of precious minutes during unplanned or “pop-up events.”