Emergency Preparedness Health Care
Resume:
Eric Poach
Monroeville, PA 15146
******@*******.***
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES:
An accomplished homeland security, health care, and public health professional with over twenty-five years of progressively responsible experience including:
•Served as a US Public Health Service contract adviser to the Saudi Red Crescent Society for seven years, during which time was responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials, and Disaster Response system based upon United States Department of Transportation and Department of Defense guidelines.
•Emergency preparedness background that spans the healthcare and public safety continuum, including emergency preparedness, emergency medical services, emergency management/emergency operations center experience, hazardous materials response, hospital, fire service, and regional medical and public health response and planning for large-scale disasters.
•Diverse experience developing and implementing a variety of public safety and homeland security systems educational programs including, but not limited to: Health care emergency preparedness; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency management; Hazardous materials; and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive emergency response.
•Internationally recognized subject matter expert in planning and response to disasters, communicable disease outbreaks, surge capacity, hazardous materials, and acts of terrorism.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Emergency Manger
Maryland Hospital Association
June 2022-June 2025
Elkridge, Maryland
Responsible for the emergency preparedness activities for Maryland Region V (National Capital Region) as part of the Federal Healthcare Preparedness Program.
Manage emergency response during significant events on behalf of the Regional Healthcare Coalition, this includes liaison with state and federal authorities.
Prepared the annual budget and facilitated purchasing of all assets deemed essential for emergency response.
Established alternate communications capabilities using satellite uplinks and wide area wi-fi capabilities following cyber-attack or IT infrastructure failure.
Conducted annual HSEEP compliant full-scale exercises across Region V and the State of Maryland. The exercise objectives addressed patient surge activity due to mass casualty, IT failure and Cyber-attack, attacks of terror and natural disaster.
Manager, Emergency Preparedness
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
April 2018-April 2022
Pittsburgh, PA
Responsible for the development and implementation of polices related to emergency preparedness programs across all hospitals and business Units of the UPMC Health System.
Responsible for the development and implementation of health care emergency preparedness training programs across all the hospitals and business units of the UPMC Health system.
Responsible for the implementation and maintenance of continuing education for the UPMC Clinical Response Team, a team of 80 health care providers designated to staff and operate the Infectious Disease Unit/(Ebola Treatment Center)of UPMC.
Develop on-line education for use by all 80k UPMC employees in the areas of emergency preparedness and emergency response.
Staff the Corporate Emergency Command Center during emergencies that may affect any of the hospitals or business units of the UPMC system.
Emergency Preparedness Training Coordinator
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
January 2016-April 2018
Pittsburgh, PA
•Responsible for the development and implementation of health care emergency preparedness training programs across all the hospitals and business units of the UPMC Health system.
•Responsible for the implementation and maintenance of continuing education for the UPMC Clinical Response Team, a team of 80 health care providers designated to staff and operate the Infectious Disease Unit/(Ebola Treatment Center)of UPMC.
•Develop on-line education for use by all 80k UPMC employees in the areas of emergency preparedness and emergency response.
•Staff the Corporate Emergency Command Center during emergencies that may affect any of the hospitals or business units of the UPMC system.
Managing Partner/CEO
Poach and Associates
Monroeville, PA
May 2008 – January 2016
•Pursue, secure, manage and service consulting projects related to the development and provision of innovative emergency preparedness solutions for governmental, health care, public health, public safety, and private industry clients.
•Manage a diverse product line including emergency preparedness planning services, hazard vulnerability and gap analysis, customized training program development and delivery, HSEEP compliant exercise program management, and an innovative line of customized relocatable structures.
•Provide generalized subject matter expertise related to CBRNE, WMD, medical surge solutions, pandemic influenza preparedness, special needs populations preparedness, Joint Commission emergency management plan compliance for hospitals, National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance, and general emergency preparedness support.
WMD EMS Operations and Planning Adjunct Instructor
National Emergency Response & Rescue Training Center
Texas A&M University System
College Station, TX.
September 2003 - Present
•Deliver U.S. Department of Homeland Security education in the field of emergency and public safety response to WMD incidents.
•Facilitated lectures, small group discussions, demonstrations, participant activities, and task-oriented practical applications using decontamination and personal protective equipment; state-of-the-art, computer-driven, human patient simulators; and current adult education theory.
Vice President of International Affairs and Special Projects
Emergency Care Consultants, Inc. dba ECCI, Inc.
Sharon, PA 16146
April 2002 - February 2008
•Pursue, secure, manage and service consulting contracts related to the development and provision of customized health care and public health training programs
•Develop and execute table-top, functional, and full-scale exercises related to Hospital Emergency Management issues, including special needs population preparedness, pandemic influenza preparedness, medical surge capacity, and mass casualty response.
•Provide generalized subject matter expertise related to CBRNE, WMD, medical surge solutions, pandemic influenza preparedness, special needs populations preparedness, Joint Commission emergency management plan compliance for hospitals, National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance, and general emergency preparedness support.
•Contracted SME and consultant for the PA Dept. of Health Pandemic Influenza Table-top and Full-Scale Exercise program involving 180 hospitals throughout Pennsylvania.
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator - Pittsburgh Mercy Health System
Manager of Prehospital and Security Services / Safety Officer - Mercy Jeanette Hospital
Jeanette, PA
February 1998 – April 2008
Manager of Pre -hospital Care, Medical Command oversight of 15 local EMS agencies and a 15 person Paramedic Response unit.
Responsible for Emergency Preparedness planning and training for health system, including Joint Commission Emergency Management Standards compliance, Pandemic Influenza and Surge Capacity planning, Special Needs Populations planning, and Evacuation planning.
Served as the sworn Chief of a 10 person Special Police Force.
Served as Operations Director of 100-person Ambulance Service
Coordinate Health System’s Hazardous Materials Decontamination Program and Disaster/Terrorism Planning Efforts.
Serve as liaison to multiple regional emergency response and preparedness groups including State Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Regional EMS Council, Regional counter-terrorism task force, and both the Allegheny and Westmoreland County EMS Councils.
Served as liaison to Pittsburgh area’s Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) development committee, including planning for Pharmaceutical Stockpile management, regional coordination of medical mass casualty response, surge capacity, mass prophylaxis, infectious disease and pandemic influenza preparedness, special needs populations planning, medical intelligence, and medical mutual aid planning.
Responsible for special project development focusing on EMS Education and Community Outreach.
Instructor
Western School of Business and Health
Monroeville, PA
August 1997 - February 1998
•Instructor in Anatomy, Physiology and Mathematics in the Medical Assistant Department.
•Responsible for curriculum maintenance and revision, as well as daily instruction of Medical Assistance candidates.
Project Team Leader/Advisor
Medical Care Development
Augusta, ME/ Riyadh Saudi Arabia
1990 – 1997
•Leader of a team of American Emergency Medical Service advisors contracted by the U.S. Public Health Service to the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society.
•Responsible for policy development and implementation, Creation and administration of annual program budget of $2 million.
•Responsible for administration of personnel matters for all U.S. advisors assigned to the program.
•Coordinated training curricula and scheduling of educational programs. Provided oversight to all educational activities related to the development of a comprehensive public safety education program for the Saudi Red Crescent Society.
•Developed a countrywide communications plan.
•Responsible for the development and implementation of standard operational procedures for regular and mass casualty operations.
•Developed a comprehensive incident reporting system.
•Established and maintained continuous quality improvement initiatives to include statistical analysis of patient data.
•Provided direct education to Saudi nationals as an instructor and assisted with the adaptation of standard U.S.DOT emergency medical services and DOD incident response curriculums to Saudi Arabia.
Emergency Medical Services Coordinator
Forbes Health System: Pittsburgh, PA
1986 – 1990
•Provided oversight and quality assurance of Prehospital medical care for 16 ambulance services in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area.
•Implemented the Priority Medical Dispatch communications center in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
•Served as a member of the Community College advisory board for EMS Training.
•Conducted EMS training programs.
Paramedic
Municipality of Penn Hills, Department of Police, Division of Emergency Services
Penn Hills, PA
1982 – 1986
•Provided emergency medical care and rescue services to the sick and injured.
•Provided support to the local volunteer fire department during fire suppression activities.
Lieutenant/Paramedic
Monroeville Fire Department
Monroeville, PA
1981 – 1982
•Supervised daylight activities in a part career, part volunteer fire department.
•Received a letter of commendation for service during a mass casualty incident.
EDUCATION
Master of Public Policy and Management
University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: December 2019
Pittsburgh, PA
West Virginia University: 1977 – 1981
B.S.Ed. – Physical Education/ Sports Medicine
Bachelor of Science degree in education, with an emphasis in Sports Medicine.
Minors in Social Studies and Political Science.
Morgantown, WV
PROFESSIONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) Planning Group
Pittsburgh, PA (October 1999 – Feb 2008)
Co-Chair Regional Incident Support and Coordination (RISC) Team Development Committee
Co-Chair Emergency Isolation and Treatment Shelter (EITS) Project
Member Mass Patient Care Committee
Member Mass Casualty Planning Subcommittee
• PA Region 13 WMD Working Group – SW PA RTTF
(Southwestern PA - Weapons of Mass Destruction Planning Group)
Pittsburgh, PA
Member Health Care Committee (April 1999 – Feb 2008)
INTERNATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•Analyzed problems related to emergency medical needs for the annual Hajj Pilgrimage and wrote the first emergency operations plan to be used by the Saudi Red Crescent Society.
•Conducted follow up investigations of the emergency response to two terrorist bombings, (Riyadh November 95, Al Khobar Towers June 96). The results of these investigations lead to renewed procedures for the handling of terrorist incidents by EMS.
•Negotiated new contract terms between the Saudi Red Crescent Society, the U.S. Public Health Service and Medical Care Development. This assured the continuance of the program for another two years.
DOMESTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•Prior Chairman of the Special Project Sub-committee of the PA Region 13 Metropolitan Medical Response System.
•Wrote and submitted a proposal on behalf of PA Region 13 Metropolitan Medical Response System that was awarded for the development of a prototype Emergency Isolation and Treatment Shelter for use during a bio-terrorist attack or disease outbreak.
•Part of a four-man subcommittee of the PA-Region 13 Metropolitan Medical Response System that developed the administrative and operational guidelines for a Metropolitan Medical Strike Team that encompassed 13 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
•Part of a three-man team that in 1998 analyzed the Chambersburg Pennsylvania Fire Department EMS service. Recommended upgrading the service from BLS to ALS by the integration of the Fire Department service with the local hospital ALS service. This increased Fire Department manning without increasing personnel costs.
•Member of the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Weapons of Mass Destruction and the PEMA Region 13 Planning groups. 1998.
•Awarded Firefighter of the Year (1985) from the Monroeville Jaycees and awarded citations from the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
•Youngest person ever to hold the rank of Deputy Chief in the history of the Monroeville Fire Department.
•While holding the rank of Captain, formed the first Fire Prevention and Community Education Unit for the Monroeville Fire Department. Planned all public relations activities. Liaison with all local, state and federal arson investigators.
•Presented at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (1986) of International Society of Fire Service
Instructors on Community Fire Prevention Planning.
•While Deputy Chief, revised maintenance and repair procedures for all Fire Department breathing apparatus and participated in the purchase of over $1.5million of vehicles and apparatus. Also, participated in the planning of a new communications system.
•Received a letter of commendation from the office of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois for actions during a hazardous material incident in which an Illinois State official was a casualty
CURRENT LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Health Care Emergency Coordinator, Basic, Advanced and instructor, March 2055
Certified Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program practitioner, April 2015
•Pennsylvania State Certified Paramedic since 1977.
•Vehicle Rescue Instructor, PA Dept. of Health. Certified since 1986.
•EMT Instructor, PA Dept. of Health. Certified since 1985.
•Fire Instructor, PA State Fire Academy. Certified since 1985.
•Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, American and Saudi Heart Association.
•Basic Life Support Instructor, American Red Cross and American Heart Association.
•Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor, American Heart Association.
•Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) Divemaster/Assistant Instructor. Certified 1993. Rescue rating 1992. Advanced rating 1992.
•Water Safety and Lifeguard Instructor, American Red Cross.
•Instructor, Weapons of Mass Destruction, for Hospital, Prehospital and First Responders. Department of Defense.
•Contract Instructor, Emergency Response to Terrorism: Command Concepts, National Fire Academy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
•Pro Board Qualified in Hazardous Materials Operations, April 2003.
•Pro Board Qualified in Hazardous Materials Awareness, April 2003.
•Adjunct Instructor, Texas A&M University, National Emergency Response Training Center, for WMD Programs, September 2003.
•Authorized Trainer National WMD Standardized Awareness Training, Office for State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security, December 2004.
•Authorized Trainer for Hospital Incident Command from the Center for HICS Education and Training. November 2007.
•National Incident Management System, ICS training programs, 100 HCa, 200 HCa, 300, 400, 700 and 800.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Practitioner. Department of Homeland Security. 2015
UNIQUE PROFESSIONAL TEACHING AND PRESENTING EXPERIENCE
Commendation from the Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the development of a Highly Infectious Disease training program for the PA Department of Health. 2019
Presenter at the International Disaster Management Conference, Orlando Florida Feb 2005: Lessons learned from studies of hospital bed surge capacity alternate solutions.
Presenter at the 2003 National Disaster Medical Systems Conference in Reno Nevada/March 2003: Emergency Isolation and Treatment Shelter Project.
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Presented at the Emergency Medical Service Institute’s “EMS Update 94” on EMS in Saudi Arabia.
Presented at the International Symposium on Road Traffic Accidents, Ministry of Interior Hospital, Riyadh Saudi Arabia 1994
Presenter Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Preparedness Conference in State College Pa, 2009 “HICS Tricks”
Presenter Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Preparedness Conference in Hershey Pa, 2011, “Hospital Incident Command Updates in training”
Presenter Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Preparedness Conference, in State College Pa, 2015, “Respiratory Protection in Health Care”, co-presenter, “Role of Exercises in Health Care Setting”
Presenter 2017 Governor's Emergency Preparedness Summit, PA Emergency Management Agency/PA Department of Health in Hershey PA, October 2017, “After Action Report, Exercise: Transport of a Highly Infectious Disease Patient from a Frontline Hospital to an Ebola Treatment Center June 2017”
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