FOUNDATION

The Nebraska Panhandle comprises 11 counties and includes 8 hospitals and 2 public health jurisdictions. There is a long history of cooperative, interagency planning and infrastructure development covering a wide array of healthcare needs and services. Emergency management, public health, hospitals, and Region I Behavioral Health have jointly shared emergency response plans with each other and have facilitated the development of applicable elements of each entity’s response plans. Panhandle Region Medical Response System (PRMRS) addresses how a multi-jurisdictional medical or public health event within the Panhandle will be managed. Roles include coordinating infrastructure and plan to effectively manage situational information, the care and flow of patients, the marshalling and dispensing of response assets, and the communication of information to decision makers and to the public.

LEADERSHIP

• Steering Committee: Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network (RNHN) compromised of Regions hospital CEOs.    
• Objective: Vote on the budgetary actions and overall yearly work plan of PRMRS.
• Planning and Implementation Team: Public Health, RNHN, Emergency Management and Behavioral Health representatives.
• Objective: Oversee coordination and structure of group, contractual agreements, grant management, reporting procedures.
•  
• Leadership Team: Multi-agency, multi-disciplinary emergency response representatives. (public health, hospitals, behavioral health, emergency management, EMS, and on a smaller scale Red Cross, volunteer organizations, schools, colleges, law enforcement, fire service depending on project area) 
• Objective: Provide essential guidance, documents, and direction of emergency response planning for our Region.

ACTIVATION Criteria:

1. Incidents with potential medical or public health consequence that impact one or more Panhandle political jurisdiction.

2. Incidents with a potential medical or public health consequence that involve multiple response agencies or institutions from one or more Panhandle political jurisdictions.

3. Incidents with potential medical or public health consequence that may stress Panhandle jurisdiction medical or public health resources (staff, supplies, equipment, vehicles, drugs, etc.)

LEVEL 1: Increased vigilance and readiness should a higher level of response become necessary.

LEVEL 2: Partially Activation of the Incident Management Team for the coordination of one or more aspects of which it is indicated.

LEVEL 3: Full Activation of the IMT in order to coordinate response of multiple aspects of healthcare and public health and resource allocation.