Brace yourself, winter is coming

What do you see outside your window? If you’re in many parts of the U.S., you might see a blanket of white. And even if the snow hasn’t started falling yet, it’s a safe bet that it will soon.

Most areas, and hospital facilities, are ready for the typical snowstorm. But are you ready for a truly bad snowstorm that can leave a region crippled for days, or even weeks at a time?

All you have to do is ask folks in places like Buffalo, New York, which was hit with 7 feet of snow in just one storm in November 2014. That same monster storm also blanketed most of the Central U.S. and New England over a six-day period, with amounts reaching record levels in many places. In many cities such as Boston and New York, services ground to a halt, and many citizens found themselves stranded.
Of course, a hospital generally can’t just shut down—at least not without moving or otherwise taking care of its patients.

CMS, The Joint Commission, and other accrediting organizations already require you to have a plan in place to prepare for “all hazards” and emergencies. The plans are meant to prepare for the disruption of hospital services on a mass scale, such as that experienced during disasters such as the California wildfires, New York City during Hurricane Sandy, and Houston during Hurricane Harvey.

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