Joint Commission's new emergency management checklist

On October 10, Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida, forcing at least two hospitals to evacuate all of their patients after their buildings sustained heavy damage. On the same day, The Joint Commission (TJC) published a new Emergency Management Health Care Environment Checklist on its website, which helps healthcare organizations that are reopening their facilities after a disaster.

While the timing of these two events was coincidental, providers should take time to go over the checklist—and their emergency plans in general. 

A TJC workgroup developed the checklist at the request of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. It aligns with TJC emergency management standards, covers both clinical and environmental issues, and addresses crucial post-disaster elements that need to be addressed before a facility reopens. It should be noted that the checklist isn’t hurricane-specific.

Jim Kendig is TJC’s field director of Life Safety Code® specialists. He says it’s critical that hospitals customize the checklist for their needs by examining the relationships they establish in the community, and at the regional and state levels.

This is an excerpt from members-only content. Please log in or become a member to access the full content.