From Hurricanes to a Pandemic, Here’s What Otolaryngologists Can Learn from Disasters

by Linda Kossoff •

Create Multiple Scenarios. A single plan won’t adequately address every type of disaster. As you plan, consider as many factors as possible that could disrupt your business, and perform a risk assessment that includes actions to mitigate or respond to those risks and details how you’ll communicate with staff and patients.

Identify Essential Personnel and Supplies. Establish a preparedness team and assign duties to each member. Have back-ups in place in case some team members aren’t available. Identify the essential daily functions of your practice, and the minimum that must be done to keep patients safe and your practice up and running. Supply shortages are a concern for many types of disasters. You may need to be prepared to pay additional shipping charges for critical materials, or overstock your business in preparation.

Test Your Plan Often. Having a business continuity plan in place means nothing if you and your staff haven’t run through scenarios to ensure that nothing is missed.