[Scan-DC] National Naval Medical Center multi-agency medical exercise

[Alan Henney]

-----Original Message----- 
From: Brian Badura
Sent: Tue 12/5/2006 1:14 PM
Subject: Press Release: New Medical Surge Shelters To Debut At Dec. 7
Exercise

National Naval Medical Center
8901 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Md. 20889

Media Contact:
National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs
Mr. Brian Badura

PRESS RELEASE
December 4, 2006

Region's First Medical Surge Capacity Shelters Unveiled At Exercise

BETHESDA, Md. -- The Bethesda Hospitals' Emergency Preparedness
Partnership (BHEPP) will unveil at the National Naval Medical Center
Dec. 7 the display models of two newly purchased medical surge
shelters - the first of their kind in the National Capital Area.

The shelters are designed to augment patient capacities at the
partnership facilities and throughout the region. When fully
outfitted, the two 22-ft. by 72-ft. shelters will hold 50 hospital bed
units designed to support emergency medical triage and treatment. The
shelters are portable and inflatable. They take a little more than an
hour each to inflate and are fully equipped with electricity,
lighting, heating and air conditioning and portable Hepa-Filtration
systems.  The shelters can also be rapidly deployed to designated
field triage sites throughout the National Capital Region in the event
of a disaster.

"We are proud to be the first to acquire these surge shelters. They
are an amazing asset for the partnership and for the region," said
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chris Gillette, National Naval Medical Center Emergency
Management Officer and BHEPP Partner. "In a public health emergency,
local hospitals, medical centers and emergency responders can become
quickly overwhelmed with patients. These surge shelters allow us to
maintain on-hand the resources needed to respond rapidly and
effectively."

BHEPP is a collaboration of three major hospitals: the NIH Clinical
Center, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services;
Suburban Hospital, a community-owned hospital serving Montgomery
County and the surrounding area; and the National Naval Medical
Center, part of the Department of Defense.  Established in February
2004, BHEPP's mission is to leverage complementary resources to
respond to local, regional, and national emergencies in the National
Capital Region.  Since its inception, BHEPP has grown to be a model
for other federal and private sector hospitals to form similar
partnerships.

To view the CMAX 06 online press kit, visit our News Room at
www.bethesda.med.navy.mil <www.bethesda.med.navy.mil> .

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National Naval Medical Center
8901 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Md. 20889

Media Contact:
National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs
Mr. Brian Badura

PRESS RELEASE
Dec. 4, 2006


Medical Drill: Taking Our Disaster Response Model from the Community
to the Region

BETHESDA, Md. -- National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) will host the
Bethesda Hospitals' Emergency Preparedness Partnership's largest
collaborative multi-agency medical exercise Dec. 7.

        The goal of this growing exercise is to evaluate the
interoperability of the Bethesda Hospitals' Emergency Preparedness
Partnership -- which includes NNMC, the NIH Clinical Center, Suburban
Hospital -- with local, state and federal emergency management
agencies during a medical crisis.

Media can expect to see, film, and photograph:

*       Simulated Fuel Farm explosion and HAZMAT storage facility fire
*       Over 75 casualties (patients) wearing realistic-looking
moulage makeup
*       Real-time response efforts of more than 30 emergency response
units from the National Naval Medical Center Fire Department,
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue service, and NIH Fire and Rescue
Services HAZMAT Response Team in personal protective equipment
*       Triage of victims and on-scene medical intervention
*       Blackhawk HH60 and UH1 emergency medical transports
*       State-of-the-art "turn key" portable surge shelters - first of
their kind in the area
*       Cutting-edge fixed and portable decontamination shelters
*       Helicopter static displays (1 UH1 and 1 OH58), configured for
medical evacuations
*       Joint Forces Headquarters Mobile Incident Command Bus with 9
person crew and a Joint Forces Helicopter feeding live aerial video to
the bus.
*       Medical Evacuation flights from Andrews Air Force via a C-130
to Salisbury, N.C.

        A total of more than 8,000 people throughout the region will
take part in this year's drill, including participants from Joint
Forces Headquarters, West Virginia National Guard units, Air Force
District Washington, and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services.

        Events on Dec. 7 will include a 9:15 a.m. press conference
staged in front of the main tower at the National Naval Medical Center
in a newly purchased medical "surge" shelter; a first-of-its-kind in
the area.  Key speakers will include leaders from each of the
Partnership facilities: National Naval Medical Center Commander, Rear
Admiral Adam Robinson Jr.; Suburban President and Chief Executive
Officer, Mr. Brian Gragnolati; and NIH Clinical Center Director, Dr.
John I. Gallin.  Members of Congress, along with other military and
civilian leaders, are expected to attend the press conference.

        Members of the press are also invited to a mass casualty drill
that will commence at 10:30 a.m. on the Navy compound.  Medical and
disaster response experts will be on hand to offer interviews during
the drill.

NOTE: National Naval Medical Center and other command services will
continue to be open during the drill, but will only offer emergent and
in-patient care services.

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