DISASTER RESPONSE TEAMS

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The Nursing Group shall support an effective health and medical response to an emergency or disaster in the State of Texas in cooperation and at the direction of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The Nursing Group shall provide trained medical and/or professional personnel, deployed at sites identified by DSHS, for the purpose of assisting in providing medical and or public health services. Staff shall be deployed to provide professional services during a disaster or emergency, which include, but not limited to medical special needs shelter support, and medical and healthcare at other locations, such as evacuation comfort stations, fuel stations, or on evacuation buses or medical transport.

Management: On-site management of Nursing Group Contractor Staff at each response location shall be provided by DSHS or by federal, state, or local government employees or officials. It is the responsibility of Nursing Group Staff to comply with instructions of the on-site Management Staff.

Deployment Time: The Nursing Group shall provide a deployment notification via email, text message, voicemail and/or phone call 48 hours in advance expected deployment date, unless DSHS provides a later reporting date and time. Staff may be deployed for up to seven (7) consecutive calendar days of actual services plus additional time for travel to the assigned response location at the beginning of deployment and from the assigned response location back to the Staff member’s home after demobilization.

Participation Confirmation: Staff shall contact the office to confirm availability for deployment.

Deployment Sites: Staff shall be provided to the required assigned response location designated by the DSHS and shall report the designated response location within 48 hours of the notification.

Early Arrivals: Staff may arrive earlier than 48 hours: however, if any Staff is going to report in less than (40) hours, you must receive approval from The Nursing Group administration.

Relocation: Staff may be relocated at any time during deployment from one county to another.

Shifts: Staff shall serve no more than a twelve-hour shift on each of the seven days of actual services at the discretion of DSHS. In addition each staff shall report (30) minutes prior to the start of each individual’s shifts in order to provide for transitioning between shifts.

Orientation: Each staff shall receive orientation from DSHS prior to the individual’s first shift. Each staff shall remain after the individual’s last shift for up to two (2) hours of demobilization activities unless waived by DSHS. The 30 minutes transition, orientation and demobilization times are not part of the individual’s shift.

Travel/Mileage Reimbursement: Staff shall be responsible for all transportation to and from the deployment site. Driving time of staff assigned to Headquarters/Deployment site does not count as the beginnig of shift assignment.

Lodging: Staff shall make all lodging arrangements for deployment. Keep and submit receipts weekly.

Meals: Staff are responsible for providing there own meals.With reimbursement provided following the correct submission of receipts. Up to a maximum of $36.00 per day. Reimbursement is only for the amount of the receipt totals not to exceed a daily amount $36.00 per day.

Travel Expenses: Staff shall maintain written receipts for travel expenses. And shall reimburse all approved expenses. Staff shall maintain timesheets and reimbursement shall be provided following the correct submission of timesheets and/or receipts. Hotel reimbursement is $85.00 per day Including Tax. Any amount over the alloted amount of $85.00 per day shall be the responsiblity of Staff.

Vaccinations: Staff shall ensure that they have received the following minimum vaccines: TB skin test or current Chest X-Ray report, Seasonal Flu Vaccine, TdaP (Pertussis), Varicella (Chickenpox vaccine or had Chickenpox), and MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella; or born before 1957) prior to deployment. A flu vaccine is recommended but not required.

Requirements: All professionals must be skilled at working in an acute, ambulatory setting, without the expectation of a regular physical work environment or close direct supervision. Each one must have the ability to use professional experience to determine best care practices in their field with limited standing delegation orders, verbal orders, or written policies but able to ensure the best effort to limit morbidity or mortality or persons served. Each one must be able to function within a multidisciplinary medical team, remain flexible to a fast paced, changing environment with limited stability of daily operations. Each one must be willing to take medical orders from the designated team leader on site at the time of the response. Each one must be willing to serve in various subordinate roles but not to exceed their level of formal training. Each one must be able to serve all ages with a vast array of medical conditions, populations and special needs.

Physicians: Physicians must understand broad primary care and triage principles and have confidence in clinical acumen in assessing persons of all ages in an acute fast paced setting. He or she must understand and be able to practice medicine with limited on-site support systems for best effort of evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and stabilization of common ailments, conditions, and diseases in an effort to assure the health and well being with limited morbidity and mortality of the population being served. He or she must be able to provide clear, concise, guidance to all members of the medical team within the scope of practice established by the Medical Director of the response effort.Physicians who are board certified or board eligible in the following American Board of Medical Specialties are preferred Professionals:

Policies: Staff shall comply with written policies and procedures provided to staff prior to deployment to a disaster or emergency. Staff shall ensure they have reviewed, understand and signed off on the policies and procedures acknowledgment form. Additional policies and procedures may be established by DSHS during a disaster or emergency including after deployment of staff.

Required Training: Staff must take the following Incident Command Services (ICS) trainings: Listed below ICS 100, ICU 200 and ICS 700. These are available online at http://training.fema.gov/IS/NIMS.asp

Terminology

The term “Disaster” by DSHS means the occurrence of imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man made cause, including fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill, or other water contamination, volcanic activity, infectious disease, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, riot, hostile military paramilitary action, or other public calamity requiring emergency action, or energy emergency. An executive order or proclamation from the Governor of the State of Texas declaring a state of disaster may or may not exist at the time DSHS may activate the deployment provisions of this contract.

The term “Emergency” means an event or series of events that require DSHS response to a public health need including evacuation, sheltering, or public health emergency.

The term “Deployment” means the time beginning when DSHS officially notifies Contractor for he need for Contractor Staff under this contract until the individual returns home after demobilization.

The term “License” includes a current license, certification, registration or other evidence of authority to practice the individual’s profession issued by state.

The term “Staff” means Nursing Group Staff. The term “

Requirements: Professionals provided to DSHS shall be licensed by the State of Texas in the appropriate professional field. Professional License in good standing. Clean criminal background check. Any individual with a felony conviction shall not be utilized under this contract.

Provided Insurance: Professional liability and Workers compensation provided for staff. MD. are required to carry a current active professional liability policy.

Legal Disclaimers: Under the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 79, Liability of persons Assisting in Hazardous or Dangerous Situations, the Parties consider Contactor, its employees, and the Contractor Staff to be giving care, assistance, or advice with respect to the management of an incident that is a disaster that endangers or threatens to endanger individuals, property or the environment: and in which the care, assistance, or advice is provided at the request of an authorized representative of a local, state, or federal agency. There is no expectation of compensation from or on behalf of the recipients, of the care, assistance, or advice in excess of reimbursement for expenses incurred. The Parties consider the “recipients” to be individuals who have received public health services from DSHS, Contractor or Contractor Staff while in support of an effective health and medical response to an emergency or disaster. The parties also acknowledge that each Contractor Staff may be considered a private individual under the Health and Safety Code, Section 81.001 and subject to the limitations on liability in that section if he or she is performing duties in compliance with orders or instructions of DSHS or a health authority under the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 81, Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act. If a Professional provided under this Contract is a Physician or psychiatrist, the State of Texas shall indemnify the Professional in accordance with the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 104, State Liability for the Conduct of Public Servants and the Professional’s Liability for the Public Servant. This applies only to a physician or psychiatrist licensed in the State of Texas.