Partnering and Collaboration Opportunities

November, 2007

To help health centers in their efforts to comply with the new Emergency Management PIN that HRSA issued in August 2007, The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS) is offering a collaboration opportunity between the State and NC health centers. NCOEMS administers an online resource tracking tool called SMARTT. Using this tool is a perfect way to comply with EM expectation #2. - Linkages and Collaboration. The following is an overview of the SMARTT system.

In an effort to optimize the use of health care resources and facilities statewide during an emergency, the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services has created a web based tool called SMARTT. This online tool will benefit the Community Health Center system in two ways. Firstly, your Center will be in the communication loop and notified via email and pager in the event of a disaster. Secondly, your Center’s resources may be identified and may be made available for use during a local, state or national emergency.

SMARTT is a web-based tool capable of monitoring hospital, EMS system and health center resources on a regular basis.  SMARTT also serves as a sophisticated communications tool which allows information to be disseminated throughout North Carolina’s healthcare system and is used to notify hospitals, health centers and EMS systems in the event of a disaster.

Currently about ten NC health centers are utilizing this tool and NCOEMS looks forward to a 100% participation rate.

There is a special section on the NCOEMS dedicated especially for training community health centers on the SMARTT system. Your health center will only benefit from this collaboration. 

 Click here to complete the online training. When you arrive at the website click on NC SMARTT Health Center Training.

To acquire Log In information and access to the SMARTT system, please send an email to Brian Barrier.

July, 2007
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is looking for medical and non-medical volunteers to draw from in the event of a disaster. Please see the their press release dated May 29, 2007.

If you are interested in registering for SERVNC online, please go to their website at www.servnc.org/. The registration is simple and takes no more than 15 minutes.

April, 2007

"Why should State Health Agencies and CHCs Collaborate?

Natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, have demonstrated the need for seamless partnerships in preparedness planning within each state. CHCs are essential partners in times of disasters, providing health care to individuals regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and they are a vital component in the nation's healthcare safety net. CHCs serve one in eight uninsured Americans, one in every four Americans in poverty, and one in every four American who live in rural areas.

The importance of CHCs as resources for populations was evident in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. Without the help of the CHCs, it is possible over 35,000 individuals would have gone without needed health care services." *

*ASTHO Issue Brief January 2007 - Partnerships with CHCs in Preparedness Planning.

 

 

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