In the recent past, our country has been impacted by a series of massive terrorist attacks, the devastation caused by record breaking weather in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes and severe winter weather and an influenza pandemic. These events underscore the importance of having an emergency response plan that allows our acute care hospitals and healthcare systems to quickly mobilize the resources needed to maintain or increase facility, patient, equipment and personnel capacity. Although history has shown that healthcare professionals will often come forward to help when the need is great, individuals who are enrolled in the State of Connecticut Emergency Credentialing Program (CT-ECP) for Healthcare Professionals will have access to special training and state sponsored liability and workers compensation coverage.
To date, 6% of all licensed healthcare providers - over 3,700 physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice and registered nurses, behavioral health, laboratory medicine, diagnostic imaging technicians, pharmacists, paramedics and respiratory therapists - have enrolled in the ECP. This is a solid start but we need to do more to reach our program goal of 12,000 healthcare professionals or at least 10% of the healthcare professionals licensed in Connecticut. When you encourage your professional colleagues to enroll in the ECP program and volunteer some of their time to assist during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency, you will be ensuring that Connecticut's citizens - your family, friends and neighbors - have uninterrupted access to vital healthcare resources when they need it most!
For more information, please contact Lynn Hayes RN,CCRN,EMTP, at (203) 688-4486 or
ecp@ynhh.org
Be the Response!