b'CONCORD HOSPITAL ANNUAL REPORT | HEALTHCARE THROUGH A PANDEMIC 9PlanningYears of extensive planning for all emergencies helped guide and tailor the Hospitals response to COVID-19. The plans are now updated, based on real-world experience in the last two years, to help respond to the next emergencies. For the last 25 years, I have pretty much been called Chicken Little because it is my job to anticipate the worst and plan forDNV Healthcare, which reviews hospital care and it, said Mike Melody, Concord Hospital Director of Safety andprograms around the world, was so impressed Emergency Preparedness. A lot of the plans were in place; wewith Concord Hospitals emergency preparedness just had to modify them.response to the COVID-19 pandemic that it invited Director of Safety and Emergency Preparedness Mike The plans included a 2005 exercise with Concord HospitalMelody and Accreditation Director Mary Ann Cioffi Medical Group (CHMG) managers about how to quickly setto speak at its annual symposium.up Neighborhood Emergency Health Centers. During the pandemic, they did it for real. There were plans for mass vaccinations. During the pandemic, the Hospital did it for real, setting up clinics at the Hospital and CHMG and filling the key positions at mass vaccinationCommunicationevents at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), whereThe Hospitals Incident Command Center operated daily more than 38,000 people were vaccinated.at the height of the pandemic, bringing together key decision-makers to marshal resources and coordinate the Hospitals COVID-19 response. To maintain the highest level of preparedness and respond quickly to challenges, Medical Original photoGeoff Forester / Concord MonitorStaff, Incident Command staff and Hospital administrators continue meeting at least weekly as the COVID-19 Steering Committee. COVID-19 updates also are a standing agenda item at daily meetings of Hospital senior leaders and medical staff. The things we are doing are always geared to how do we NHMS VACCINATION EVENT keep the staff safe, how do we keep our patients safe, In 2020, the Hospital developed plans for how to treat moreMelody said. than 50 COVID-19 patients at a time. During the surge in earlyAfter Concord Hospitals FY 2021, the Hospital did it for real. purchase of LRGHealthcares When we design plans, we use an all-hazards approach,hospitals in Laconia and Franklin, the COVID-19 Steering Melody said. That proved very effective because it doesntCommittee worked to align visitor screening and policies, as matter if its a highly infectious disease or a water leak in thewell as employee screening and testing at all three hospitals.building, many of those components are the same: We still have patients; we still have to take care of them.'