Emergency Preparedness Toolkit
Responding to a disaster involves many challenges for healthcare facilities. Within this toolkit, you will find pieces that will make sure that your facility is prepared for any emergency it may face.Emergency Preparedness Risk Assessments
These tools provide an analysis of current emergency preparedness plans. This analysis advises on how to evaluate and test procedures and implement improvements of identified hazards.
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Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) ESF-8 Tool
An analysis to be used when developing or updating your organization’s emergency preparedness plan. This objective tool helps you score various types of threats to determine their likelihood, severity and impact
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Newsletter: Statewide Hurricane Drill
Statewide Hurricane Drill: Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana hospitals have worked to prepare for hurricanes and other emergency events in order to better serve and support our communities. This year, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center enhanced its annual hurricane preparedness routine by testing its evacuation procedures as part of the state-wide 2016 Vigilant Guard Exercise.
Emergency Preparedness Regulatory and Compliance
Emergency Preparedness and Response plans recommended for transplant centers, ambulatory surgical centers, and critical access hospitals are provided. There is also a podcast regarding the handling of PHI during a disaster situation.
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ASPR Tracie-Hospital and Transplant Center Requirements CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule
The final regulatory rules on emergency preparedness for transplant hospitals. This is an excellent resource to ensure that a transplant organization’s current emergency preparedness plan meets the regulatory expectations.
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ASPR Tracie-Ambulatory Surgical Center Requirements CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule
The final regulatory rules on emergency preparedness for ambulatory surgical centers. This is an excellent resource to ensure that an ambulatory surgery center’s current emergency preparedness plan meets the regulatory expectations.
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ASPR Tracie-Critical Access Hospital Requirements CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule
The final regulatory rules on emergency preparedness for critical access hospitals. This is an excellent resource to ensure that the critical access organization’s current emergency preparedness plan meets the regulatory expectations.
Emergency Preparedness Local/State/National Resources
Here are instructions for submission to the LDH portal. Templates for emergency plans are present for distinct healthcare providers. Best practices, technical assistance and directions from FEMA and the CDC are also included in Emergency Preparedness Resources at local, state and national levels.
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ESF-8 Portal and Applications User’s Guide
The ESF-8 Portal was created by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) as a resource featuring tools and applications that are utilized to gather Emergency Status information on facilities licensed by the department. This resource has step-by-step instructions on how to submit and utilize the ESF-8 portal for emergency preparedness purposes and during statewide or local emergencies.
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Louisiana Department of Health: Health Standards - CMS Compliant Templates
LDH provides template emergency preparedness plans for healthcare, long term care, behavioral health and outpatient facilities.
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Louisiana Department of Health: Hospital Emergency Preparedness
LDH provides information on the emergency preparedness rules specifically for hospitals.
Emergency Preparedness in the Physician's Office Practice
Physician's office practice can include environmental and medical emergencies. It is recommended to perform a self-assessment, implement and review policies and procedures, train staff, and communicate and test plans for emergency preparedness. View the attached documents.
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Planning for Medical Emergencies in the Physician Office Practice
Medical emergencies are the most common event physician office practices should be prepared to respond to. Unfortunately, individuals may arrive who have underestimated the severity of their symptoms, there is no emergency room nearby or they lack the resources to go to the emergency room.
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Planning for Environmental Disasters/Emergencies in the Physician Office Practice
Environmental disasters/emergencies have the potential to disrupt services for extensive periods. These hazards may even require relocation to alternative locations. When completing the HVA, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when considering environmental hazards. Environmental disasters may not just be natural disasters such as tornados or hurricanes. They may also be gas leaks, explosions and failures of utilities such as electricity. Environmental disasters could also be man-made hazards such as bombs and bioterrorism. Possible scenarios can be numerous and it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Care should be taken to develop your organization’s response, contingency plan, communication plan and staff training for each likely scenario.
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Planning for Workplace Violence in the Physician Office Practice
OSHA reports that, in each year from 2011 to 2013, healthcare workers in the U.S. suffered 15,000 to 20,000 serious workplace violence-related injuries. Issues can arise for numerous reasons, but commonly involve disgruntled employees or domestic violence that spills over to the workplace from an employee or a patient/family member who is unhappy.