From tornadoes and hurricanes to wildfires and floods, natural disasters threaten nearly every corner of the country. But, as recent cybersecurity breaches and the pandemic have shown, healthcare disasters aren’t limited to the forces of nature. With lives at stake, disaster preparedness for hospitals and healthcare facilities must be a non-negotiable priority for every leader.
Uncover the top disaster risks and six must-take actions every healthcare leader needs to help safeguard their facility and ensure it’s prepared for any crisis.
Disasters Hospitals and Facilities Should Prepare For
Hospitals, SNFs, and other facilities must act decisively on disaster preparedness to safeguard patient care and keep operations running smoothly. Natural disasters—such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and storms—can devastate facilities. This underscores the need for robust preparedness plans to ensure rapid recovery, especially with increasing natural events like Hurricane Beryl.
Additionally, preparedness must address other rising critical disaster types, including:
Technological Failures
A tech meltdown can jeopardize patient safety and disrupt care. With the growth of cybersecurity threats, facilities need robust backup systems, expert IT support, and clear communication strategies to handle crises and keep patients updated.
Human Errors
Simple mistakes or negligence can lead to major disruptions. It’s key for facilities to enforce strict safety protocols, provide regular training, and keep equipment in top shape. This creates a safety-first culture and minimizes the risk of significant setbacks.
Disaster Preparedness for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Luckily, there are some proven methods for ensuring disaster preparedness for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Here’s a quick checklist to consult to make sure your organization is ready for the worst-case scenario.
✓ Consult the CMS Checklist
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) covers the essential steps of disaster preparedness for healthcare facilities with the Survey & Certification Group Emergency Preparedness Checklist.
This downloadable document is the U.S. government’s official template to follow for a declared public health emergency (PHE) situation. It also serves as an appropriate starting point for disaster planning in general. Every facility should download and consult it for guidance on the basics of hospital disaster preparedness, including:
- Gathering all relevant documents together in a safe place, such as contacts and state or local planning regulations or requirements
- Creating a continuity of operations business strategy
- Developing a facility-wide evacuation plan
- Formalizing staffing requirements and defined staff responsibilities during a crisis
- Communicating procedures for emergency alerts and for coordinating staff, patients, and families
- Training all staff in basic emergency procedures, with ongoing refresher sessions
> Get started: The CMS checklist is a comprehensive list and should be at hand in every facility. You can download it here.
Skilled nursing and long-term care facilities should also consult the Survey & Certification Emergency Planning Checklist for Long-Term Care Facilities to understand resident care standards in the event of a disaster or emergency, and what to expect should an ombudsman follow up after an event.
✓ Don’t Forget Surge Capacity
Inadequate hospital surge capacity is a pressing and often underestimated challenge in disaster preparedness. The Institute of Health points out that hospitals in crowded urban areas are frequently operating at or near full capacity, barely coping with everyday emergencies, much less major disasters. Even with efforts to expand by adding beds and repurposing nonclinical spaces, many facilities still grapple with severe shortages of specialized staff, ICU beds, and crucial equipment like ventilators.
To tackle this issue head-on, hospitals must also implement a strategic plan to quickly free up critical resources, including staffing, ensuring they’re primed and ready for any disaster that comes their way.
✓ Implement a Crisis Staffing Plan
A disaster takes just as much of a toll on healthcare workers as everyone else. For instance, nurses and other critical staff can get sick during a pandemic. Additionally, during a natural disaster, they may be prevented from getting to work due to transportation disruptions.
Recent events have only underlined the necessity of having an active crisis staffing plan at all times. Luckily, specialized workforce partners are available to help fill this important role. Partnering with a crisis staffing provider gives hospitals and other facilities immediate access to a nationwide network of top clinical talent, ensuring preparedness and continuity of care during any disaster.
✓ Get Your Third-Party Vendors in Order
Using third-party vendors is a necessity for most organizations these days. But managing those vendors can be a challenge, particularly when disaster strikes. Don’t be stuck without communications to essential service providers during an outage — get your vendors in order with a vendor management system (VMS).
A healthcare VMS works as a single partner to manage all an organization’s third-party interactions from one centralized hub. While the direct goal is to leverage automation and create a centralized point of contact to make vendor management easier and ensure quality, a healthcare VMS is also an essential tool for coordinating vendors during a time of crisis.
> Get started: Learn more about healthcare VMS here.
✓ Find a Backup Workforce Solutions Provider
Does your facility have a go-to source for contingency workers like travel nurses? Do you have a vendor that can help ensure that vital workforce services like recruiting, hiring, billing, and invoicing continue as normal, even during a public health emergency? If not, it’s time to back up your staffing plan by partnering with a workforce solutions provider.
From comprehensive, turnkey managed services to a-la-carte help with recruiting, vendor management, or other workplace needs, a workforce solutions partner is a good way to help ensure staff continuity throughout the year — even during a crisis. When you partner with a company with a nationwide footprint, you’ll also give your facility access to essential workers from all corners of the United States.
> Get started: Learn more about healthcare workforce solutions here.
✓ Have a Clear Communication Plan
Lastly, a culture of clear communication is critical for disaster preparedness in any hospital or facility. For instance, it can help prevent medical errors and stop these mistakes from escalating into full-blown crises. Train all staff to quickly spot and address issues, including urgent cybersecurity threats like phishing.
Ensure new team members also receive immediate, engaging security training and keep everyone updated with frequent briefings. Leaders must actively seek and act on team insights to ensure a rapid and effective response to any disaster.
Ensure Disaster Preparedness for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Looking for a partner to help with hospital disaster preparedness and other healthcare workforce needs? At CareerStaff Unlimited, we’re proud to put our custom-tailored staffing and recruitment services to work for facilities of all types, all across the U.S.
Contact us today to discover how we can help you ensure patient care during a disaster or any other time of year, or request staff now.