On June 6, 2024, CHSCPR members representing over 50 organizations across Chicago participated in a full-scale exercise. The exercise scenario involved an explosion resulting in a mass casualty incident that was complicated by a radiation threat (“dirty bomb”). This exercise was the culmination of a Radiation and Chemical Emergency Annex Seminar, a Chemical Response Tabletop Exercise, and a Medical Response Surge Exercise conducted with our members throughout winter and spring 2024.

Over a five-hour exercise period, member hospitals, dialysis centers, long-term care facilities, a hospice organization, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, and the Chicago Department of Public Health activated staff and emergency response plans, and conducted response activities. These activities included Incident Command activation, utilization of communication platforms, patient triage and decontamination, and continuity of health care service delivery, among other exercise objectives.

The exercise served as another clear demonstration of our members’ strong preparedness and response capabilities, their commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration, and the region’s overall ability to effectively respond and coordinate during a complex emergency incident.

Photos (clockwise): Endeavor Swedish Hospital, UI Health, Chicago Department of Public Health, Rush University Medical Center.

We recently completed our Spring 2024 decontamination training program, which targeted six hospitals in areas anticipated to receive patients from the Democratic National Convention. These hospitals were RUSH University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, St. Anthony Hospital, Insight Hospital and Medical Center, and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Led by Dave Matthews from Emergency Management Alliance, our training sessions combined classroom lectures with hands-on practice.

During the classroom sessions, we delved into the decontamination process, while the practical sessions focused on essential skills such as setting up PAPRs, donning/doffing PPE, and identifying contaminants. Each day concluded with a full-scale drill, where volunteers simulated patients requiring decontamination, allowing us to execute the entire procedure from start to finish.

The active participation and dedication shown by the hospitals involved highlight the success of these training sessions. Hospitals took full advantage of the opportunity to bolster their preparedness and response capabilities, thereby elevating their readiness levels in the event of a contamination incident.

Photos (clockwise): Saint Anthony Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Rush University Medical Center.