Emergency Preparedness Program and Patient Emergency Plans

Sets up the Agency’s all-hazards emergency preparedness program: risk assessment and written plan, a named disaster coordinator and alternate, patient triage levels and an individual emergency plan for every patient, a current patient list for officials, a communication plan, response and recovery steps, and training and exercises. It meets 42 CFR §484.102 (plan, policies, communication plan and training reviewed at least every 2 years; exercises at least annually) for a Medicare-certified agency and is followed by every agency as its own standard, together with the Pennsylvania duties to report a catastrophic incident or interruption of services to the Department immediately by telephone with written follow-up (28 Pa. Code §601.13(c)) and to give written notice of disaster disruption and loss of vital services (§51.3(g)(11)-(12)).