On November 12, 2024, members of the Chicago Healthcare System Coalition for Preparedness and Response (CHSCPR) Executive Committee, hospital and healthcare leadership, public health, emergency management, and several other key community stakeholders participated in a strategic planning session to begin mapping the next five years of CHSCPR work and engagement. During the highly interactive session, which included welcoming remarks by Dr. Olusimbo Ige (Public Health Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health), participants shared their areas of expertise, reflected on major Coalition accomplishments over the past year, and looked ahead to solidify the Coalition’s and their own organizations’ preparedness goals.

Unsurprisingly, the Coalition’s preparation and cohesiveness during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago rose to the top of the list of recent accomplishments. Developing and maintaining a strong Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, Cybersecurity Assessment, and Continuity of Operations Plan were among several of the highest priorities identified for the Chicago healthcare system as we move forward together in the midst of increasing threats and hazards globally.

When asked how CHSCPR can best define success, participants highlighted the themes of collaboration, engagement/relationship-building, community, preparedness, and resilience. The cooperative session in November will pave the way for additional conversations and contributions to the Coalition’s strategic planning initiative by all members this winter and spring, helping shape a new era of meaningful preparedness programming for hospitals and healthcare partners throughout the city of Chicago over the next five years.

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.