April 30, 2014 marks the first ever Preparathon, a national day of action for increasing emergency preparedness and resilience. It’s a great reminder to take the time to review your facility’s disaster plan to identify gaps. As you know, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a rule that enhances emergency planning standards for long term care facilities. On the heels of that December 2014 Federal Register proposed rule, CMS updated its Emergency Preparedness Checklist in February. This focus on disaster planning has been in place for a few years now after several large-scale disasters, including Hurricane Katrina. The OIG issued a report in April 2012 that highlights the LTC industry’s lack of emergency preparedness and ability to respond to disasters in a report that showed there has been a decrease in compliance with Federal regulations for emergency planning and training.
Need help with your nursing facility’s disaster plan? Contact CMSCG today to learn how we can help.
