Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced on September 8, 2016 that it had finalized new emergency response requirements for healthcare providers. The new rule comes as a response to a string of disasters, natural and mad-made, including the recent flooding in Louisiana. The new rules go into effect on November 8, 2016 and must be implemented by November 15, 2017.
Situations like the recent flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, remind us that in the event of an emergency, the first priority of healthcare providers and suppliers is to protect the health and safety of their patients. Preparation, planning, and one comprehensive approach for emergency preparedness is key. One life lost is one too many.
The new rules are intended to plug gaps in old emergency preparedness regulations. Under the old rules, providers weren’t required to coordinate with other health organizations during an emergency. There wasn’t a requirement for contingency planning and emergency response training for staff either. Now, healthcare organizations will need to coordinate their plans with federal, state, regional, and local emergency preparedness systems.
The rule requires that healthcare providers meet the following four standards:
1. Emergency plan: Based on a risk assessment, develop an emergency plan using an all-hazards approach focusing on capacities and capabilities that are critical to preparedness for a full spectrum of emergencies or disasters specific to the location of a provider or supplier.
2. Policies and procedures: Develop and implement policies and procedures based on the plan and risk assessment.
3. Communication plan: Develop and maintain a communication plan that complies with both federal and state law. Patient care must be well-coordinated within the facility, across healthcare providers, and with state and local public health departments and emergency systems.
4. Training and testing program: Develop and maintain training and testing programs, including initial and annual trainings, and conduct drills and exercises or participate in an actual incident that tests the plan.
Source: HCPro – Accreditation Insider
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