Exercise Overview

This exercise will serve as an opportunity for the management and staff that make up your Hospital Incident Command Team to work through scenario information and injects dealing with both preparedness activities associated with an approaching hurricane well as the actions that will need to be taken to remain operational for 96 hours following the storm.

Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative

The Hurricane Doc - A Hospital Sustainability Tabletop Exercise is part of the national Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative.

This exercise will be facilitated via an internet based application entitled ON-Line eXercise (ONX) System which will allow hospital management and staff to participate in the exercise from their normal base of operation.

Information on the ONX System can be found at ONXSystem.com.

A discussion and information forum for all who are interested in, support or participate in the Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative.

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Testimonials

Hospitals have been participating in ONX System exercises since May 2010. Here is what hospital emergency managers and others are saying about using the ONX System.

Hospital Accreditation

All Caduceus Shield exercises are aligned with the various emergency management standards for hospital accreditation.

Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program

Caduceus Shield utilizes the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) system for exercise design, facilitation and evaluation.

HSEEP compliant Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEG) are utilized to assess the various planning / preparedness, response and recovery capabilities and capacity of hospitals participating in all Caduceus Shield exercises.

After Action Report / Improvement Plan - Inject Response Report

An HSEEP compliant After Action Report / Improvement Plan (AAR / IP) is generated at the conclusion of all Caduceus Shield exercises. This report is based on an exercise specific Exercise Evaluation Guide and the observations and recommendations of an on-site evaluator. Each hospital will need to provide an internal evaluator for the exercise.

In addition all responses to injects and descriptions of actions taken by exercise participants during a Caduceus Shield exercise are captured within the ONX System and exported to generate an Inject Response Report at the conclusion of the exercise.

ASPR Fund Utilization

Caduceus Shield exercises are designed to meet all expectations associated with the utilization of The Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funding requirements.

Exercise Scenario

It is mid August and local citizens have been complacent in their hurricane preparedness activities because this year's hurricane season has not even seen its first Tropical Storm. Families are making their last minute plans for their summer vacations while local business owners are thinking that the hurricane season could be very inconsequential. However weather forecasters are predicting a major change in the atmosphere that could see a sharp increase in the number and severity of hurricanes within the next few weeks.

By late August local residents and business owners begin to follow the projected path of the season's first Tropical Storm. Soon the storm strengthens into Hurricane Alex as it continues its forward movement. The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor the storm via satellite and Hurricane Hunter planes as it continues to intensify.

Hurricane Alex has stayed true to the course that has been predicted by the National Hurricane Center and has grown into a mid-sized category two storm.

During the previous 24 hours the forward movement of Hurricane Alex has increased and the National Hurricane Center has now posted a Hurricane Watch along the coastline indicating that the storm should be making landfall within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Exercise Participation Information