News & Events :: Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Emergency Physicians Medical Group Distributes Mass Casualty Resource Book to California Emergency Departments.

Contact: Sarah Hay
800.476.1504
hays@cep.com

(March 4, 2002, Oakland, Calif.)—California Emergency Physicians (CEP) Medical Group, located in Oakland, Calif., has responded to the tragedy of September 11 by distributing a Mass Casualty/Nuclear, Biological, and/or Chemical (NBC) Event Resource Book to its contracted Emergency Departments.

The Mass Casualty/NBC Event Resource Book was well received by CEP Partners as well as hospital administrators, who plan to use the guidelines in conjunction with existing hospital response plans.

"Thanks to CEP for taking the initiative to prepare such a resource. I know this will be used in our ED as well as reviewed by our Emergency Preparedness committee as it evaluates our preparedness plans. The book is indicative of the kind of value that CEP adds to its partnership with hospitals," said Lindsay Mann, CEO, Kaweah Delta Healthcare District Hospital in Visalia, Calif.

The book includes information on anthrax, small pox, plague, botulism, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fever. It also provides data on chemical and nuclear events, JCAHO emergency standards, and home safety guidelines. Each section offers detailed clinical information and management instructions for reporting suspected bioterrorist-related illnesses. General recommendation guidelines have also been provided for personnel, security, triage and decontamination, patient flow, supplies, and communication.

"With disaster preparedness at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we felt it was CEP’s responsibility to provide our hospitals and emergency departments with a useful resource book that includes disease information and a ‘how to’ guide based on current mass casualty and disaster response literature," said Prentice Tom, MD, CEP’s Chief Medical Officer.

The Mass Casualty/NBC Event Resource Book was compiled from existing literature from the American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Medical Management of Biological Casualties, Johns Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and other sources.

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CEP was founded in 1975 and is the leading provider of physician staffing and management services for Emergency Departments and Ambulatory Care Centers in California. CEP is the largest democratic physician group in the country dedicated to the independent practice of emergency medicine. To date, CEP includes more than 800 providers, 47 Emergency Departments, and 20 Ambulatory Care Practices. For more information on CEP visit their website at www.cep.com.