Bruce Baron

Hurricane Arthur hit the Eastern U.S. this month as one of the earliest hurricanes on record. Thankfully, Arthur didnot pack a huge punch and damage was minimal. 

For providers, Arthur is a reminder to take anotherlook at your emergency preparedness to ensure your plan is up-to-date and effective.Emergency preparedness for healthcare providers is a challenge. A study commissioned by the Centers forMedical & Medicaid Services concluded that “gaps continue to exist in nursing homeemergency preparedness and response during disasters.” 

In order to uncover potential gaps, Massachusetts nursing homes during the week of June 23 ran emergency preparedness drills. These drills were coordinated efforts between multiple healthcare providers andMassMAP — the Massachusetts Long Term Care Mutual Aid Plan. 

A VoiceFriend customer recently participated in the mock emergency drill. The administrator of the communityasked that VoiceFriend personnel observe the drill.The community staff was well-prepared and the drill was a success. During the drill, the team used VoiceFriend’smessaging solution to immediately inform the staff of the mock emergency and provide specific steps to follow. 

The administrator afterwards remarked, “The mock drill was a great learning experience for my team and theother nursing homes that participated. While we originally implemented VoiceFriend to reach staff for coveragefor staff call-outs and open shifts, VoiceFriend played a huge role in our mock drill and will save us critical hoursduring a real emergency.” 

Emergency preparedness is critical to healthcare providers. Proper planning and training will ensure you and yourteam are ready when and if an emergency does occur. 

Bruce Baron is the CEO of VoiceFriend