Disaster planning checklist for CFOs of healthcare organizations.
According to the National Safety Council, the 10 most common problems or errors with emergency response plans are:
1. No upper management support
2. Lack of employee buy-in
3. Poor or no planning
4. Lack of training and practice
5. No designated leader
6. Failure to keep the plan up to date
7. No communication methods to alert employees to emergencies
8. OSHA regulations are not a part of the plan
9. No procedure for shutting down critical equipment
10. Employees are not told what actions to take in an emergency
The following planning checklist (with the appropriate follow-through) can help you avoid most of these problems. The authors recognize that most facilities already have some form of disaster plan; therefore, this is written to capture considerations as you refine or update your plans.
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Community and Employee Safety
The following items are examples of activities that do not fall
directly within the responsibility of the financial leaders of
a facility, but have financial implications that must be
considered during the planning process.
Financial Planning
Action Implications
1. Work with community leaders Supplies:
to determine the most likely
disaster scenarios, what the Equipment:
most crucial needs are in
such situations, and what Staffing:
the community's expectations
are of the healthcare Communications:
organization.
a. Where there is a gap Off-site storage or shelter:
between expectations
and capabilities, Testing and training:
determine what can be
done to address it,
either by improving
the organization's
capabilities or
educating the
community on
appropriate
expectations.
b. Community leaders
could include local
government, emergency
first responders,
major businesses,
educational systems,
and community services
organizations.
2. Ensure that the plan
