National Strategic Plan for ED Management of COVID-19 Outbreaks

This plan was provided by The American College of Emergency Physicians. It informs health care personnel, public health, and government officials at all levels of the necessary capabilities that must be present for successful emergency department management of an outbreak of COVID-19. It also enumerates the necessary actions that must be taken to attain these capabilities. The performance of the necessary actions will fall to parties including professional associations, government entities at the federal, state and local levels, public health officials and departments at the federal, state and local levels, and hospitals – administrators, medical staff, nursing and support services. Those entities should undertake the necessary operational planning to assure their performance prior to, during and following an outbreak of COVID-19. The plan serves as a guide for emergency departments to address the interdependencies that are necessary for successful management of such an incident. The goal of this guidance is to protect the health care infrastructure and ensure the delivery of emergency medical treatment during a large-scale epidemic or pandemic.