Helene, a storm of biblical proportions—were we prepared? Can we ever be prepared enough when it comes to disaster preparedness in healthcare facilities? When a natural disaster strikes, hospital and health system leaders must respond swiftly and efficiently to provide support to residents, employees, and the community at large.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that there are additional resources and flexibilities available in response to this disaster in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the States of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina | CMS.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) Center for Health Innovation has a hub for disaster preparedness in healthcare facilities, providing resources to strengthen and reimagine the emergency management system for the nation’s health care and public health preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for natural disasters and other emergencies.

A subcommittee to AHA, “Convening Leaders for Emergency and Response,” has developed a tip sheet CLEAR-Tip-Sheet-Series-Natural-Disaster.pdf (aha.org) to assist in identifying key strategies and considerations. As Clint Purvance, M.D., President and CEO, Barton Health stated, “we have to be adaptable; we have to be resilient.”

So, the storm has passed and now we have been without power for days. The Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (IPRO) has developed a tool for “Managing Power Outages in Healthcare Facilities: A Quick Checklist” Managing Power Outages in Healthcare Facilities: A Quick Checklist – IPRO NQIIC. This tool identifies the immediate actions healthcare providers should take along with understanding the challenges specific to our sector in an emergency.

Don’t wait—use these resources, and remember, no one is an island! Stay well and stay informed!

1812f-waiver-findings-hurricane-helene-nc-09-27-24.pdf (cms.gov) (North Carolina)

Standard Waiver List for Hurricanes and Natural Disasters v. Sept 2021 (docx) (cms.gov) (North Carolina)

1812f-waiver-findings-hurricane-helene-ga-09-27-24.pdf (cms.gov) (Georgia) 

Standard Waiver List for Hurricanes and Natural Disasters v. Sept 2021 (docx) (cms.gov) (Florida and Georgia) 

hurricane-helene-1812-waiver-fl-09-2024.pdf (cms.gov) (Florida)