The Surge Capacity Guidelines and Templates provide a broad and interconnected approach to managing patient overload in hospitals, medical clinics, and alternate care sites. The overall structure of each document is similar, yet each focuses on specific areas that are germane to each response strategy. The alternate care site document provides templates to measure the complex criteria that must be examined when selecting and using an ACS, and communities and health systems could use these templates to construct an off-site care facility. The guidance for medical clinics discusses how to implement an organized incident command structure, and it is really a template for clinics to use during disaster plan development. The hospital surge materials focus on incident command and supply chain management. The documents are well-written and could serve as excellent guides for communities struggling with surge capacity and special needs issues. These documents represent a solid piece of public work from which other state, local, or community organizations could benefit.
