VHA Office of Emergency Management: Comprehensive Emergency Management (CEMP)

OEM focuses its attention on comprehensive emergency management.  OEM provides support in the form of personnel, finances, materials, and processes during four overlaping phases of internal and external disasters and military contingencies:

• Mitigation - efforts to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters
• Preparedness - development of resources to manage the impacts of hazardous events
• Response - activities to stop the disaster or emergency and its effects
• Recovery - both short and long term restoration of the capabilities impacted by emergencies and disasters.

The Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP) supports the mission, vision, and strategic goals of the organization to ensure the continuity of patient care, the safety of patients, staff, and resources, and provides for the continuity of hospital operations in the event of a disaster or emergency. 

Comprehensive Emergency Management is a conceptual framework and is developed through use of the Integrated Emergency Management System (IEMS).  The program incorporates all aspects, requirements and standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Environment of Care standard of emergency preparedness.

CEMP Programs

CEMP includes many individual program areas:

• VA/DoD Contingency 
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) 
• National Response Framework (NRF) 
• Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) 
• CEMP Strategic Planning 
• Medical Emergency Radiological Response Team (MERRT) 
• Continuity of Operations (COOP) 
• Decontamination (DECON)
• Deployable Resources 
• Emergency Management Academy Certification Program 
• Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP)
• Exercise and Evaluation Program 
• Pandemic Flu
• Pharmaceutical Cache
• Public Information/Communications 
• VA Regional Emergency Management Programs 
• Partners in Preparedness Program 
• National Incident Management System (NIMS) 

References

VHA Handbook, 0320.2, Emergency Management Program Procedures (34 KB, PDF)

Program Manager Contact Information

Kevin Thompson
Kevin.Thompson@va.gov
OEM Strategic Planning Program Manager
Phone: 304-264-4819
Fax: 304-264-4499