Emergency Preparedness
VOLUNTEER DATABASE
There are two options to access the Volunteer Database:
When you first sign up you will be asked to apply for an HPN Medical Professions Account and then to complete a Volunteer Application. Once you are
signed up you can use the Currently Enrolled link to keep your contact information up to date.
INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina, licensed health professionals from across the state volunteered their services to respond to the
crisis. It has become apparent to the New York State Dental Foundation (NYSDF) that unless these dental health professionals were already a member of a
local or state public health preparedness team that were trained and prepared, most dental health professionals could not be effectively mobilized.
To this end, NYSDF has joined with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to help dental professionals register in the statewide Public Health
Preparedness Volunteer Practitioner Database of registered dental health professionals willing to volunteer their services in the event of a public health
emergency. The purpose of this Volunteer Practitioner Database is to assure that the entire State has adequate resources to prepare for and respond to any
public health emergency, whether it is a declared disaster or other non-declared emergency acting public health. Volunteers could be needed to respond to
natural disasters, accidents, or terrorist attacks and during events where operations are compromised by physical damage, loss of electrical power, or other
causes. Emergencies might range from single-jurisdictional events such as a single anthrax letter to regional events such as multi-county ice storm, to statewide
events such as a sever hurricane. The Volunteer Practitioner Database will be used for two purposes:
- to recruit volunteers to specific response roles- for example , pre-identify dentists to staff for forensic identification.
- to identify dental professionals willing to respond to a public health emergency at the time of an event.
The types of skills needed for each emergency are situation dependent. The lengths for volunteer service will depend on specific events. Skills and expertise
necessary for emergencies may include pediatric dentistry, clinic management, forensic dentistry, and oral surgery, just to name a few. There are also roles for
those who would like to share their knowledge with others through a speakers’ bureau and that have experience in public health preparedness, decontamination,
and other issues that would support preparation and response to public health emergencies.
By enrolling in the database a registered dental health professional would be indicating their willingness to volunteer their time and professional skill in an
emergency in their county and/or possibly in another location where their assistance is needed. Enrolling places a registered dental professional under no legal
obligation to volunteer.
ACCESS AND ACTIVATION
The NYSDOH will maintain the Volunteer Practitioner Database on the Department Health Information Network (HIN) that is a secure, Internet accessible
system. NYSDOH will initiate the activation of volunteer practitioners in the event of an emergency via the department Health Provider Network (HPN) and
direct the deployment of health professionals in the event there are multiple, simultaneous demands from different parts of the state (all volunteers will need to
apply for an HPN account). Participating volunteer health professionals will then provide services under the direction of the State, City or local health
department or emergency management office or hospital to which they have been deployed by NYSDOH.
Local health departments may access the Volunteer Practitioner Database to identify registered dental professionals within their county who have indicated
they are willing to become a member of a local public health emergency preparedness team. Local health departments will be restricted to the health
professional name, specialty and address information.
PRIVACY
NYSDOH restricts access to the volunteer contact information in the volunteer database to prevent the unnecessary disclosure of this information. Restricted
information includes a volunteer business or personal pager, business or personal cell phone, home phone and home address. Select NYSDOH staff will have
full access to the data for management, activation and deployment purposes. Identified staff from the New York City Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, the County Health Departments and the State and County Emergency Management Offices has restricted access to the data as described above. By
enrolling in the volunteer program a registered health professional authorizes the NYSDOH to share information, such as liscensure status, credentialing, and
hospital affiliation with the agency or organization to which they may be deployed during an emergency.
All information gathered is for use by NYSDOH and its agents listed above. NYSDF will not contact you for the purposes of membership solicitation. Also,
we reserve the right to contact you if you purposely contact us via email or phone in relation to this program. By clicking on either of the enrollment links
below, you will be taken to a site managed and maintained by the NYSDOH.
Volunteer Now!
VOLUNTEER LIABILITY COVERAGE
In April 2004, the Department of Health received an opinion from the Attorney General’s office that confirmed the application of Public Officers Law § 17 to
the New York State Department of Health Volunteer Practitioner Database. Public Officers Law § 171 provides defense and indemnification to employees of
the State for acts or omissions that occur while the employee was acting within the scope of his/her employment or official duties. The definition of employee
includes those volunteers expressly authorized to participate in a State sponsored volunteer program. Any licensed health care professional volunteer who is a
part of the volunteer database and who is activated and authorized to act by NYSDOH during an emergency will be afforded the benefits provided by P.O. L.§
173. Therefore, by enrolling in the State Public Health Preparedness Volunteer Practitioner Program volunteers are afforded defense and indemnification when
activated and deployed by New York State pursuant to Public Officers Law § 17.
However, where injury occurs because of his or her intentional wrongdoing or recklessness, the volunteer would not be covered under Public Officers Law § 17.
When Public Officers Law § 17 applies, the State is not substituted as the defendant in the action; the volunteer is the named defendant. The State, through the
Attorney General’s office, provides a legal defense (attorney, assistance, etc.) for the volunteer. Should the injured individual prevail at trial, the judgment
would be against the individual volunteer, but because the State provides indemnification, the State would pay the judgment and not the volunteer.
VOLUNTEER DATABASE
There are two options to access the Volunteer Database:
Click here if you are Currently Enrolled with an HPN account
Click here for a New Enrollment in the Volunteer database.
When you first sign up you will be asked to apply for an HPN Medical Professions Account and then to complete a Volunteer Application. Once you are
signed up you can use the Currently Enrolled link to keep your contact information up to date.
This is brought to you by a grant from HRI, the NYS Department of Health, and Center for Disease Control.
1 P.O. L.§ 17 protection will be available provided the requisite criteria are met (e.g., activated and deployed by NYSDOH, no intentional wrongdoing, timely
notice to the AG’s office).
2 Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, etc.
3 P.O. L.§ 17 protection will be available provided the requisite criteria are met (e.g., activated and deployed by NYSDOH, no intentional wrongdoing, timely
notice to the AG’s office).
VOLUNTEER DATABASE
There are two options to access the Volunteer Database:
When you first sign up you will be asked to apply for an HPN Medical Professions Account and then to complete a Volunteer Application. Once you are
signed up you can use the Currently Enrolled link to keep your contact information up to date.
INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina, licensed health professionals from across the state volunteered their services to respond to the
crisis. It has become apparent to the New York State Dental Foundation (NYSDF) that unless these dental health professionals were already a member of a
local or state public health preparedness team that were trained and prepared, most dental health professionals could not be effectively mobilized.
To this end, NYSDF has joined with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to help dental professionals register in the statewide Public Health
Preparedness Volunteer Practitioner Database of registered dental health professionals willing to volunteer their services in the event of a public health
emergency. The purpose of this Volunteer Practitioner Database is to assure that the entire State has adequate resources to prepare for and respond to any
public health emergency, whether it is a declared disaster or other non-declared emergency acting public health. Volunteers could be needed to respond to
natural disasters, accidents, or terrorist attacks and during events where operations are compromised by physical damage, loss of electrical power, or other
causes. Emergencies might range from single-jurisdictional events such as a single anthrax letter to regional events such as multi-county ice storm, to statewide
events such as a sever hurricane. The Volunteer Practitioner Database will be used for two purposes:
- to recruit volunteers to specific response roles- for example , pre-identify dentists to staff for forensic identification.
- to identify dental professionals willing to respond to a public health emergency at the time of an event.
The types of skills needed for each emergency are situation dependent. The lengths for volunteer service will depend on specific events. Skills and expertise
necessary for emergencies may include pediatric dentistry, clinic management, forensic dentistry, and oral surgery, just to name a few. There are also roles for
those who would like to share their knowledge with others through a speakers’ bureau and that have experience in public health preparedness, decontamination,
and other issues that would support preparation and response to public health emergencies.
By enrolling in the database a registered dental health professional would be indicating their willingness to volunteer their time and professional skill in an
emergency in their county and/or possibly in another location where their assistance is needed. Enrolling places a registered dental professional under no legal
obligation to volunteer.
ACCESS AND ACTIVATION
The NYSDOH will maintain the Volunteer Practitioner Database on the Department Health Information Network (HIN) that is a secure, Internet accessible
system. NYSDOH will initiate the activation of volunteer practitioners in the event of an emergency via the department Health Provider Network (HPN) and
direct the deployment of health professionals in the event there are multiple, simultaneous demands from different parts of the state (all volunteers will need to
apply for an HPN account). Participating volunteer health professionals will then provide services under the direction of the State, City or local health
department or emergency management office or hospital to which they have been deployed by NYSDOH.
Local health departments may access the Volunteer Practitioner Database to identify registered dental professionals within their county who have indicated
they are willing to become a member of a local public health emergency preparedness team. Local health departments will be restricted to the health
professional name, specialty and address information.
PRIVACY
NYSDOH restricts access to the volunteer contact information in the volunteer database to prevent the unnecessary disclosure of this information. Restricted
information includes a volunteer business or personal pager, business or personal cell phone, home phone and home address. Select NYSDOH staff will have
full access to the data for management, activation and deployment purposes. Identified staff from the New York City Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, the County Health Departments and the State and County Emergency Management Offices has restricted access to the data as described above. By
enrolling in the volunteer program a registered health professional authorizes the NYSDOH to share information, such as liscensure status, credentialing, and
hospital affiliation with the agency or organization to which they may be deployed during an emergency.
All information gathered is for use by NYSDOH and its agents listed above. NYSDF will not contact you for the purposes of membership solicitation. Also,
we reserve the right to contact you if you purposely contact us via email or phone in relation to this program. By clicking on either of the enrollment links
below, you will be taken to a site managed and maintained by the NYSDOH.
Volunteer Now!
VOLUNTEER LIABILITY COVERAGE
In April 2004, the Department of Health received an opinion from the Attorney General’s office that confirmed the application of Public Officers Law § 17 to
the New York State Department of Health Volunteer Practitioner Database. Public Officers Law § 171 provides defense and indemnification to employees of
the State for acts or omissions that occur while the employee was acting within the scope of his/her employment or official duties. The definition of employee
includes those volunteers expressly authorized to participate in a State sponsored volunteer program. Any licensed health care professional volunteer who is a
part of the volunteer database and who is activated and authorized to act by NYSDOH during an emergency will be afforded the benefits provided by P.O. L.§
173. Therefore, by enrolling in the State Public Health Preparedness Volunteer Practitioner Program volunteers are afforded defense and indemnification when
activated and deployed by New York State pursuant to Public Officers Law § 17.
However, where injury occurs because of his or her intentional wrongdoing or recklessness, the volunteer would not be covered under Public Officers Law § 17.
When Public Officers Law § 17 applies, the State is not substituted as the defendant in the action; the volunteer is the named defendant. The State, through the
Attorney General’s office, provides a legal defense (attorney, assistance, etc.) for the volunteer. Should the injured individual prevail at trial, the judgment
would be against the individual volunteer, but because the State provides indemnification, the State would pay the judgment and not the volunteer.
VOLUNTEER DATABASE
There are two options to access the Volunteer Database:
Click here if you are Currently Enrolled with an HPN account
Click here for a New Enrollment in the Volunteer database.
When you first sign up you will be asked to apply for an HPN Medical Professions Account and then to complete a Volunteer Application. Once you are
signed up you can use the Currently Enrolled link to keep your contact information up to date.
This is brought to you by a grant from HRI, the NYS Department of Health, and Center for Disease Control.
1 P.O. L.§ 17 protection will be available provided the requisite criteria are met (e.g., activated and deployed by NYSDOH, no intentional wrongdoing, timely
notice to the AG’s office).
2 Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, etc.
3 P.O. L.§ 17 protection will be available provided the requisite criteria are met (e.g., activated and deployed by NYSDOH, no intentional wrongdoing, timely
notice to the AG’s office).
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20 Corporate Woods Blvd., Suite 602
Albany, New York 12211
ph: 518-465-0044
fax: 518-465-3219
alt: 800-255-2100
nysdf@nysdental.org
Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy
Albany, New York 12211
ph: 518-465-0044
fax: 518-465-3219
alt: 800-255-2100
nysdf@nysdental.org
Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy
