SCHCC EVENT RESPONSE
Waldo Canyon Fire (June 2012) – Thousands were evacuated including at least one large nursing home. In its aftermath, environmental health and behavioral health were heavily engaged. Based on feedback during the health & medical debrief, the coalition drafted an evacuation assistance plan. Closing the main highway from Colorado Springs going west resulted in lack of readily available medical resupply (oxygen, pharmaceuticals) to rural areas within the coalition’s region.
Black Forest Fire (June 2013) – Just one year later this community endured a similar experience with thousands evacuated and hundreds of homes destroyed. The coalition dedicated significant effort to contacting healthcare facilities, and especially focusing on home health agencies whose clients resided in the impacted area. Here again, environmental and behavioral health partners were heavily engaged. The coalition refined its regional evacuation assistance plan and improved its information sharing using a medical situation report.
Major Flooding (July 2015) – Due in part to unusually heavy rainfall coupled with deforestation from the 2012 fire, this major disaster was accompanied with landslides and mudslides. Evacuations were ordered and some low-lying buildings were inundated with mud. Thankfully, there were very few casualties in both fires and the flooding.
Clinic active shooter incident (November 2015) – This shooting incident lasted five hours and resulted in numerous casualties. The coalition helped coordinate the behavioral health engagement with all affected by this incident. A local hospital partner treated the casualties.
Coronavirus (2020 – 2022) – The SCHCC was involved with the COVID-19 Pandemic response from the beginning, partnering with state and local Public Health, Emergency Management, and Hospital staff in order to share information and create situational awareness during the rapidly evolving event. Throughout the event the SCHCC has continued to support the response through positions and responsibilities, including: providing resource management for supply requests; as a liaison between local, regional and state agencies; as Co-Lead for coordination calls with hospital Emergency Management and Long-Term Care/Skilled Nursing Facilities; as advocate for local and regional needs to state partners; and through monitoring and culmination of metrics at the local, regional, state and interstate levels to provide situational awareness.
Marshall Fire (December 2021) – Responding to a request from an Assisted Living Facility that was being evacuated due to the fire in Boulder County, the SCHCC responded to assist with providing resources to a sister facility located in Colorado Springs that would be housing the evacuees. Working with the El Paso County Public Health Department and Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management, the SCHCC was able to provide ADA Bariatric cots, linens, pillows and access and functional needs supplies to allow the local facility to house 30 residents from the evacuated facility.
Pediatric Surge (October 2022 – December 2022) – In October 2022, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) concerning the escalating Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity, straining the pediatric healthcare system in the state. During the respiratory season, the HAN expressed concerns about potential co-infections with RSV, SARS-CoV-2, and influenza. The Statewide Healthcare Coordination Center (SCHCC) activated a Pediatric Surge Coordination call on October 27, 2022, to assess pediatric bed capacity, challenges, and resource needs. Amid the surge, executive orders (D 2022 044 & D 2022 045) were enacted, allowing hospitals to seek waivers to expand medical professionals’ scope of practice and enhance flexibility in patient treatment. Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs secured waivers to increase bed capacity by 35 beds, repurposing areas for high acuity RSV and ILI patients. Elective surgeries were canceled, and partnerships were formed to explore off-site options, such as an Alternative Care Site (ACS) for infusion clinics. UCHealth and CommonSpirit Health hospitals increased Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) capacity. They obtained waivers to admit pediatric patients up to 16 years or 40 kg to facilitate transfers from Children’s to adult hospitals. The SCHCC coordinator shared information with the CDPHE OEPR Medical Operations Coordination Center for state support. By December 19, 2022, RSV cases were declining, and pediatric med-surge and ICU bed capacity increased, prompting the decision to deactivate the SCHCC Pediatric Surge Coordination call.
Club Q Active Shooter (November 2022) – On November 20, 2022, an active shooter incident unfolded at Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO, resulting in five fatalities and 25 injuries. Victims were transported to UCHealth-South and Penrose St Francis hospitals by EMS and CSPD. Following the incident, CSPD collaborated with Diversus Health and EPCPH to organize a Community Resource Expo offering mental health resources, spiritual support, emotional support animals, childcare, emergency financial assistance, LGBTQ+ support, meals, and more. As of December 22, 2022, local partners persist in supporting the affected community and establishing long-term resources.
WALDO CANYON VIDEO
COMMITTEES
If you are interested in participating or learning more about one of our committees/meeting groups, please contact Kara Prisock, SCHCC Readiness and Response Program Administrator (kara.prisock@coloradosprings.gov) or Kristopher Parsons, SCHCC Readiness and Response Program Specialist (kristopher.parsons@coloradosprings.gov) .
Long – Term Care, Skilled Nursing, and Assisted Living Facilities: Throughout the COVID-19 response the LTCF partners meeting (and previous LTCF Steering Meeting) have been integral in providing insight, direction, and communication regarding the status of these facilities and the wide-scale impact the pandemic has had on the LTCF network. At times these meetings have included medical directors, ED doctors, EMS medical directors, hospital patient care teams, state representatives, ombudsman’s, and epidemiologists, as this group worked diligently to address impacts from the pandemic. More recently, these meetings have continued to provide an outlet for facilities within our region to discuss concerns, gaps, best practices and lessons learned from COVID-19, as well as looking ahead to planning and response to other risks and vulnerabilities that may impact them (i.e., wildfires).
Committees in Development in 2024:
As the SCHCC works to recover from the COVID-19 response, we are looking to re-invigorate some of the committees that dissolved due to the extended needs of the response. These committees include the following:
Healthcare Community Partners Committee (Liaison position OPEN): This committee focuses on the unique needs and concerns of the LTCF, Home Health, and other non-hospital based healthcare entities.
Exercise/Training Committee (Liaison position OPEN):This committee focuses on development of the HCC training and exercise calendar, and participates in the design and execution of the yearly Coalition Medical Response Surge Exercise and Specialty Response MCI Tabletop.