SITUATION:
Coordinated Consulting Services (CCS) was hired to develop an organization-wide emergency operations plan for Nevada Health Centers (NVHC). NVHC has clinics across the state in various geographic regions, including five mobile clinics. In addition to the NVHC Comprehensive Emergency Plan (CEP), site-specific emergency brochures with basic emergency procedures, and a mini tabletop exercise to test plan components were requested.
NEED:
NVHC, Department of Facilities, Security, and Emergency Preparedness sought a consultant to lead the development of their Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-compliant emergency operations plan. NVHC was seeking a consultant that could lead the process, garner leadership buy-in from all major service lines, engage an interdisciplinary planning team from across the organization and from varying geographic regions, and address the diverse hazards and vulnerabilities related to various health center locations across the state.
SOLUTION:
CCS worked closely with core and extended planning teams from NVHC throughout the planning process. Following the development of planning teams and conducting a review of existing NVHC emergency preparedness documents, CCS completed an assessment of organization-wide essential functions, services, and systems that would support the development of the CEP. A review and update of the organization’s existing Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) was also conducted and used to inform the CEP and the site-specific emergency brochures. CCS then guided NVHC’s planning teams through the develop a comprehensive emergency plan that met CMS updated guidance on emergency preparedness for Federally Qualified Health Centers. Concurrently, CCS worked with planning teams to build site-specific emergency brochures outlining procedures for hazards identified in the HVA and common outpatient health clinic hazards. The project culminated with an in-person training on the new plans and procedures, including a mini-tabletop exercise for organization leadership.
OUTCOME:
The NVHC CEP was approved by the NVHC Board of Directors and finalized during the summer of 2023. As a result, NVHC’s has a comprehensive emergency operations plan that is specific to their organizational needs and meets CMS requirements. Through the team approach to plan development, the training and mini-tabletop exercise, and the finalization process the CEP has begun to be socialized within the organization. Furthermore, NVHC has hired CCS to develop a 30-minute training video for all staff on the CEP and relevant emergency procedures. Ultimately, the outcome is a resilient organization that is prepared to respond to all-hazards, with the goals of continuing operations, protecting staff and patients, and contributing to community resilience.
