Yale-New Haven Health System (YNHHS) aims to be recognized for its quality, advanced clinical care and its commitment to improving the health status of the many Connecticut communities it serves. One of the ways YNHHS is achieving this goal is by offering a series of online courses on emergency preparedness topics for health care workers.
The free courses are offered on the web site of the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response. By offering them on the Web, the center is able to provide consistent training to a large and diverse audience in a rapid and cost-effective manner. Health care workers worldwide will be able to gain access to a wide range of emergency preparedness courses specifically developed or adapted to be delivered via the Web.
Current online courses
The Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response is currently offering two online courses: Emergency Management 102: Introductory Course (EM 102) and Incident Command Systems (ICS) for Health Care (EM 140).
EM 102 is designed to assist health care workers in understanding the consequences of emergencies and disasters, and in preparing for their roles and responsibilities in an emergency or a terrorist event. In addition, the course has information on addressing mental health needs in an emergency.
EM 140 offers an introduction to ICS for health care workers. During an emergency, an ICS assists in the command, control, and coordination of all efforts aimed at protecting life, preserving property, supporting the emergency response, and stabilizing the operations of a health care site.
The course will give participants the chance to learn about: the ways an ICS can provide a consistent approach to command and control during an emergency or disaster; the composition of an effective ICS before an actual incident occurs; the roles and responsibilities of ICS members; and Review Unified Command, which is needed when incidents involve not only health care facilities, but other response organizations both private and governmental.
Upcoming online courses
The courses being offered by Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response were developed in response to gaps identified by needs assessments, literature reviews, and clinician surveys. Guided by competency standards, the center defines discipline-specific competencies, adapts existing curricula when possible, and develops new courses to meet competencies as needs are identified.
The center is creating additional online courses on emergency preparedness topics for the health care delivery workforce. All courses are created with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Future courses include:
