On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas – bringing not only devastating winds and storm surge, but also massive, record-breaking rainfalls. The final tally reached 51.88 inches that flooded thousands of square miles, displacing thousands of people, some of whom were in medical care facilities.
Many areas were so badly flooded, they were only accessible by boat. One of the cities impacted was Dickinson, TX, home to assisted living facility La Vita Bella. You may have seen the viral photos and articles of some of the residents sitting in waist-deep water, awaiting rescue. While the residents were reportedly in good spirits, eventually rescued by boat and then airlifted to hospitals for care, this situation highlights the need for a solid emergency preparation plan.
What You Can Do to Avoid this Situation
As a medical provider, you are responsible for some of the population’s most vulnerable individuals during a natural disaster or other public health emergency. When disaster strikes, failing to have an emergency preparation plan is essentially failing to properly care for those who need it most – when they need it the most.
As a Medicare or Medicaid provider, after November 15, 2017, you must have an emergency preparedness plan that meets the requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Preparedness Rule standards as were recently published in the Federal register in order to remain compliant.
The Center for Disease Control has extensive information available to guide you in creating a comprehensive emergency preparation plan for your medical facility. Brightgray Solutions can help you implement the Communications Plan and Policies and Procedures requirements with WatchPoint AtRisk Registry – providing real-time, secure information on patients for continuing the best care possible.
Brightgray Solutions’ WatchPoint AtRisk Registry is a unique software system that assists medical providers in planning evacuation and recovery of at-risk patients, location tracking, secure access and communication of patient needs, improving the level of communication and organization in a disaster situation.
Thinking about worst-case-scenarios and planning for emergency situations is difficult for sure. Brightgray Solutions can help streamline the process and help you be prepared for emergency operations. Explore our free demo to discover how WatchPoint AtRisk Registry can be tailored to your organization’s specific needs.
