The federally funded Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), which aims to improve outcomes for children in emergencies, disasters, and pandemics, is launching its first collaborative opportunity: the Disaster Networking Collaborative (DNC).
The DNC is open to all children’s hospitals in the United States or territories with the goal of establishing partnerships with local, state, regional and national emergency preparedness systems and networks to better address the needs of children and families. The 10-month collaborative kicks off in September 2023 and will run through June 2024.
The collaborative will emphasize three key areas:
- garnering C-suite or hospital leadership support for pediatric disaster preparedness,
- establishing consistent disaster roles/responsibilities in children’s hospitals, and
- engaging with the emergency management landscape and communities.
Participating children’s hospital teams will attend collaborative educational and networking sessions, exchange ideas, contribute to regional planning efforts, refine best practices, and learn from PPN experts. The collaborative will also serve as the foundation for future national efforts to enhance pediatric disaster preparedness and response through a network of children’s hospitals better prepared to care for children in emergencies, disasters, and pandemics.
An ideal DNC team will be multidisciplinary and could include emergency/disaster management professionals, a medical director, emergency coordinators, physicians, nurses, social workers, or others with pediatric interests, although prior disaster preparedness experience is not required. Monthly virtual sessions will focus on critical topics, quality improvement strategies, and consensus-driven approaches. Participants can expect to dedicate 3 to 5 hours per month to collaborative activities, including learning sessions and team project work.