Hospital-Medical Programs

History of Virginia RACES Hospital-Medical Programs




		How The Central Virginia Hospital Disaster Planning Committee Works


	Shortly before 9-1-1, Virginia RACES was contacted by Carleen Penny at the time Director of Safety and Emergency Management of the Medical College of Virginia (now VCU Healthcare Systems), regarding the establishment of an amateur radio communications system station at the hospital that could link all Richmond Trauma Hospitals in case a communications emergency. Ms. Penny had attended many conferences around the country where the hospital participants presented first hand results of how amateur radio was of help in communications emergencies, to get the traffic through.

	Immediately thereafter, then Virginia RACES State Emergency Radio Officer Tony Amato (KR4UQ) assembled a group of dedicated organization members to plan and implement a system that would meet the needs of the Richmond area hospitals.


	The initial planning group consisted of; A. C. Frame (W4HG), Marshall Ervine (N4XBP), Robert Vest (KA4CBB), Luke Bannister (AD4MG), Jim Clark (N4GAU), Joe Landers (KE4EUE), T. J. Johnson (N4UYQ) and Tony Amato (KR4UQ). The group was split in three areas of responsibility. Planning, Repeaters, and Digital Data.


		At the same time, Bruce MacAllister (W4BRU) was appointed VA RACES ERO for the City of Richmond, including the Counties of Hanover and Henrico - and also became the Contact for VCU Healthcare Systems. Based on the pre-911 planning and the new concerns post 911, Virginia RACES entered into an SOU with VCU, and VCU issued purchase orders for the equipment specified by Virginia RACES.

			In January of 2003, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association committee requested Virginia RACES to provide comments on an integrated amateur radio communications system which would provide primary backup communications for all hospitals in Central Virginia, encompassing 10,000 square miles, with a population of over 1.2 million. Virginia RACES was represented by KR4UQ, Dr. Vic Culver (W4VIC), DERO 6 Jim Clark N4GAU, W4BRU, and ERO Chesterfield County KA4CBB at the meeting.

		In late 2003, the Central Virginia Hospital Disaster Planning Committee was formed, representing the 16 primary Hospital Centers in central Virginia. Immediately thereafter, Col. Don Schindel, USAF Ret., was hired by the committee to act as Regional Coordinator, and has administered the program as directed by the committee since that time.

	From December 2003 through this date, Virginia RACES has worked hand-in-hand with the Central Virginia Hospital Disaster Planning Committee to design and deploy the necessary amateur equipment at each hospital and the linked infrastructure to support the trauma centers. As of August 2005, $252,000 in communications equipment and associated special services have been put in place.

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