Surge Management Guidelines
Our greatest strength as a health care system is our ability to work together and support one another during this unprecedented crisis. When we collaborate as a System, we share space, staff, supplies and standards of care to provide better outcomes to our patients and communities.
As patient volumes increase across the System, inpatient and Emergency Department (ED) resources may become stressed. Should UMMS facilities face a surge of patients, our System must be prepared to take steps to increase access to timely care while maintaining our high-quality standards.
In March 2020, UMMS released surge management guidelines for outpatient, inpatient and EDs to ensure that we maintain a position of readiness throughout this health care crisis. These guidelines outline considerations for hospital leaders including access, scheduling, location, staffing, triage standards, testing and treatment needs, transitional care models and revenue cycle. Together, they present a clear path that allows our System to minimize stress on our facilities in the event of a patient surge by enhancing appropriate utilization of clinical resources, leveraging tools such as telemedicine, aligning workflows with alternative sites of care and establishing clear and consistent communications.
These surge management guidelines were updated on September 15, 2020 to strengthen our System-wide response, including the addition of data entry requirements to ensure that the UMMS Incident Command has the most up-to-date information to help drive efficiencies.
Together, we are forging new ground as each day passes in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our communities in Maryland. Thank you for your unwavering leadership as health care professionals in ensuring we continue to provide the highest quality care for our patients.
Surge Management Guidelines