Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness: A ... - PHE Home

arrangements to share facilities with another practice). Considerations in such planning
include the following:
• Partner with a practice that is unlikely to have incurred the same damage due to
geographic location and clearly work out the operations of the practices ahead of time
with respect to volume of patients, sharing of staff and resources, etc.
• Contact vendors for a change in delivery address, notify laboratories of relocation,
and select alternative vendors and laboratories (in case the usual vendors have also
been affected).
• Ensure that all staff members are apprised of the plans.
• Develop specific evacuation plans and conduct periodic in-service and practice drills.
• Periodically review the location of fire extinguishers, first aid, and emergency
equipment.
Equipment and supplies. Offices should have emergency kits assembled that contain water, a
substantial first-aid kit (including thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and stethoscope), radios,
flashlights, batteries, heavy-duty gloves, food, sanitation supplies, and medical reference
books and cards. Emergency supplies should be located both on-site and off-site. Lack of
refrigeration for medications and vaccines is a likely scenario in a disaster. Back-up
generators are important in case of outages. Back-up communication systems such as cellular
phones, direct telephone lines that are not part of the regular telephone system, two-way
radios, beepers, and ham radios should be considered. Practices located within hospitals
should comply with JCAHO requirements.
Records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that
copies of records be stored off-site (some experts recommend at least 50 miles away) in case
of catastrophe. This includes copies of patient charts and other vital records, even if most
records are stored electronically. In addition to patient charts, other records that should be
stored off-site include the following:
• Contact lists.
• Chain of command list.
• Pertinent contact information for government and emergency agencies.
• Copies of insurance policies.
• Loan applications.
• Real estate leases.
• Other materials relevant to the practice operations.
A number of Web sites that provide computer data storage capability are currently available.
The choice of vendors should be researched carefully, and the various options for secure
access (e.g., wireless) should be explored. Free-standing practices need to consider all
contingencies. Practices located within larger hospital institutions need to be aware of the
provisions made by the larger institution.
Communication system. Having a communication system in place for the office—including
the chain of command, a listing of contact information for all staff members, and the
delineation of staff responsibilities—is vital to office readiness in the event of a manmade or
terrorist disaster.
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