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Heidi P. Cordi, MD: Does Your Hospital Have a Disaster Plan in Place in the Event of an Emergency?

Dr. Heidi P. Cordi, MDHospitals can face a variety of adverse events ranging from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and pandemics, to human-caused catastrophes such as terrorist and cybersecurity attacks.

Disasters in and around a hospital can have a huge impact on the facility, its employees, and even the communities they serve. Hospitals must be able to handle the additional surge of patients and care for the ill and injured while still trying to run their daily operations. Lessons learned over the past few decades demonstrate that hospitals must also prepare for the worst, especially disasters that may have a widespread impact. Reviewing past disasters can provide insight into effective disaster planning. However, with limited resources, hospitals must focus on disasters that would most likely occur.

Hospital disaster preparedness can be complex. Planning helps to manage a crisis by anticipating the range of potential issues, such as medication shortages and power outages. Reviewing lessons learned from other disasters allows planners to better manage the unforeseen impacts. Ultimately, the goal of a hospital disaster plan is to ensure readiness to continue daily operations while treating a surge of people requiring medical attention.

Key Elements of a Hospital Disaster Plan

All hospitals should have a Hospital Emergency Operations Plan, and it should be updated regularly. There are six key elements that every hospital plan should address, according to the Joint Commission:

  • Communications
  • Clinical and support activities
  • Resources and assets
  • Safety and security
  • Staff responsibilities
  • Utilities

Once a hospital disaster plan is created, practice is imperative. It ensures that everyone involved is familiar with the process of moving through the crisis. Staging disaster preparedness drills biannually is also a requirement enforced by accrediting bodies like the Joint Commission and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Exercises must be thoughtfully considered and can be implemented in a variety of ways such as table-top and field exercises. It is challenging, maybe almost impossible, to test the entire plan. But having well-formulated objectives helps to streamline disaster operations. Without planning and preparation, it will be challenging to manage the patient surge. A well-implemented hospital disaster plan saves lives.

Dr. Heidi P. Cordi, MD, FACEP, FAADM is a board-certified physician in disaster medicine by the American Board of Disaster Medicine, a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS).

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Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine
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