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Designing and Expanding a Business Continuity Program for a Healthcare System
Business continuity is the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during and after a disaster or disruption. For a healthcare system, business continuity is vital to ensure the safety and well-being of patients, staff, and the community. However, designing and expanding a business continuity program for a healthcare system can be challenging, as it involves multiple stakeholders, complex processes, and diverse risks. In this presentation, we will share our experience and lessons learned from developing and implementing a business continuity program for a large healthcare system in the United States. We will discuss the following topics: • The key steps and components of a business continuity program, such as risk assessment, business impact analysis, strategy development, plan writing, training, testing, and maintenance. • The best practices and tools for engaging and collaborating with various departments, units, and facilities within the healthcare system, as well as external partners and regulators. • The common challenges and pitfalls of designing and expanding a business continuity program, such as resource constraints, communication barriers, change resistance, and compliance issues. • The strategies and solutions for overcoming these challenges and enhancing the effectiveness and resilience of the business continuity program. We hope that our presentation will provide valuable insights and guidance for other healthcare organizations that are interested in developing or improving their business continuity programs. We also welcome feedback and suggestions from the audience to further improve our practice and learn from each other.
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Dr. Bulson currently serves as Corewell Health’s Director, Business Assurance. Dr. Bulson is instrumental in the development of a comprehensive system level healthcare emergency preparedness and response program. She is responsible for program design, development, implementation, operational readiness and resilience, situation management, and business continuity for Corewell Health – a large integrated health system in Michigan. She represents healthcare emergency preparedness on many federal, state, and regional healthcare preparedness planning committees. Dr. Bulson has also been a guest lecturer for healthcare emergency preparedness for multiple local nursing programs as well as several healthcare emergency preparedness conferences and has co-authored several articles related to healthcare emergency preparedness and response. Her research interests continue to be related to impact and outcomes of emergency preparedness education on healthcare workers and organizational resiliency.
Violent Threats in Healthcare - A Multidisciplinary Response Team Approach
In the current landscape, healthcare facilities face a growing number of violent threats, posing significant risks to the safety of both patients and staff. In response, Sanford Health has implemented a robust, multidisciplinary team approach to manage and mitigate these threats effectively. This presentation, "Violent Threats in Healthcare - A Multidisciplinary Response Team Approach," will delve into the comprehensive strategy developed by Sanford Health. We will explore how this team, composed of experts from various fields such as security, emergency management, clinical care, administration, and communications, works collaboratively to assess, respond to, and manage violent threats. Attendees will gain insights into the processes for threat identification, risk assessment, communication protocols, and the coordination of a cohesive response plan. Join us to learn how this innovative approach not only enhances the safety and security of healthcare environments but also ensures a swift and organized response to potential crises, safeguarding the well-being of all involved.
Matt is an experienced healthcare emergency management professional who dedicates his work to ensuring health care organizations, communities, and individuals are able to reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.
Matt is currently the Director of Enterprise Emergency Operations for Sanford Health, a role he has filled since July of 2022. In this role, Matt is responsible for all emergency management programs across the organization, which includes 47 medical centers and 224 clinic locations. In his current and previous emergency management roles for Sanford Health, Matt has had the opportunity to lead multiple incident command teams through a variety of emergency and disaster events.
Matt has a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from North Dakota State University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Sioux Falls.
When Matt is not preparing or responding to emergencies and disasters, he enjoys spending time with family and enjoying the various activities South Dakota has to offer. Matt is an avid outdoorsman and is always finding unique ways to enjoy nature and the outdoors.
Elderly Vulnerability and Disaster-Associated Psychological Trauma: Considerations for Facility Decision Making
Psychological trauma is not an uncommon result of disasters. Anxiety rises with the frantic preparation to secure your belongings and the rushed decision to stay or evacuate. Fear of the unknown, disruption of routine, loss of control, and loss of meaningful possessions are things all survivors have in common. However, physical and cognitive decline associated with aging make the elderly particularly susceptible to psychological trauma pre- and post-disaster. Emergency managers’ primary job is to ensure the safety of patients. However, psychological trauma can increase vulnerability and risk for mortality in the elderly and should be a consideration in facility decision-making. This presentation offers insight on how physical and cognitive decline contribute to vulnerability and disaster-related psychological trauma in the elderly.
Jacquelyn Marchand was born and raised in New Orleans. She earned her BA and MA in Geography focusing on natural hazards and her PhD in Urban Studies focusing on disaster planning and emergency management for the elderly all from the University of New Orleans. Jacquelyn has thirteen years of experience in long-term care. She manages day-to-day business operations and continuity as well as facility and population security and resiliency for all disasters and emergencies at Poydras Home in New Orleans. Real-life experiences with Tropical Storm Isaac, COVID-19, and Hurricane Ida have highlighted for Jacquelyn the shortcomings in support for long-term care facilities as well as the need for improved planning and response in long-term care facilities. These experiences have helped her to take a more proactive and adaptive approach to disaster preparedness and emergency management, reaching out directly to the elderly population to discover the best way to keep them safe and feeling secured.
Using Serious Safety Events Tabletop Exercises as a Tool for Decreasing Patient Safety Events
Patient Safety and Quality, Risk Management and Emergency Management teams collaborated to develop Serious Safety Event Tabletop Exercises as a more proactive approach to promoting a culture of patient safety. This initiative further integrates emergency management into hospital operations and the overall strategic plan. The scenarios are based on real-world patient safety events instead of the more traditional HVA based exercises. After participating in these exercises, both leadership and front-line staff consistently asked for additional tabletops as an effective learning method.
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Elizabeth received her bachelor’s degree in public relations and criminal justice from Taylor University. Following college, Elizabeth graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and served as a deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Department in Marion, Indiana where she maintained several key programs for the department as a certified active shooter instructor, fatal crash scene investigator, Project Lifesaver team member, hostage/crisis negotiator and school safety officer. Elizabeth moved to healthcare in 2015, joining Marion Health as the Director of Protective Services, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Dispatch and Hospital Police Chief. Elizabeth worked to transition the security department into a police force and graduated from the Indiana Executive Police Chief School in 2018. She continued her career in healthcare joining West Virginia University Medicine as the Emergency Management Director for JW Ruby Memorial Hospital in 2020. She chairs the WVU Medicine Emergency Preparedness Council and West Virginia Health Care Coalition Region 6/7. In 2023, Elizabeth earned the role of Enterprise Director of Emergency Management and Business Continuity for WVU Medicine, supporting all 24 hospitals throughout West Virginia and surrounding states. Elizabeth has presented alongside her public health colleagues at the NACCHO Preparedness Summit and national webinars on their collaborative radiological incident preparedness initiatives. Elizabeth holds a MS in Communications from Purdue University and is a member of the Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals, the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, and the International Association of Emergency Managers. She is also a Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional, Certified Emergency Disaster Professional and Certified Healthcare Emergency Manager.
Planning for the “Party” – Lessons Learned from the RNC
Once your city has been identified as the hosting city for a large national convention, planning starts. This is the time to re-evaluate your plans, your training, and the potential risks. Communications is a priority and a pitfall. This presentation will discuss what went well for the planning and preparation. The areas of improvement, including the surprises will be examined with ways to avoid.
Lisa Hass-Peters, BA, RN. Lisa is the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the Level 1 Trauma Center, Froedtert Hospital, in Milwaukee, WI. Her background as a trauma nurse gives her a critical advantage in the understanding of a clinical response to a disaster. She coordinates and facilitates hospital disaster preparedness education, providing direction and support. She designs, conducts, evaluates, and participates in community and hospital training for emergency preparedness and exercises. Lisa maintains ongoing competency in Emergency Preparedness, Mass Casualty, HAZMAT, and Weapons of Mass Destruction knowledge through education and working in the field. She is also a certified hospital emergency coordinator, certified disaster prepared nursing and a certified National Healthcare Disaster Professional.
Lisa holds the position of Commander of the Wisconsin-1 Disaster Medical Assistant Team. She commands a group of medical and support personnel designed to provide emergency medical care during a disaster or other federally declared events. The team is designed to be a rapid-response element to supplement local medical care when needed. She is the recipient of the 2022 COVID Civilian Response Medal
Building a Resilient Future: Developing an Effective Emergency Management Program in Healthcare
This session will offer attendees a comprehensive approach to developing an effective emergency management program. Participants will learn strategies to secure leadership buy-in, establish and build their program, and identify pivotal moments for growth. Whether you are just starting your planning process or seeking to enhance an existing program, this presentation will provide practical, actionable guidance to elevate your emergency management efforts.
Adam currently serves as the Director of Emergency Management and Organizational Resilience at Memorial Hermann Health System. In this role, he spearheads the development and execution of comprehensive emergency management and business continuity initiatives and oversees all non-technical operational facets of cybersecurity preparedness and response. Adam holds a master's degree and an MBA. He brings a wealth of expertise to his field and has attained credentials as a Certified Emergency Manager and Master Continuity Practitioner.
Adam's contributions also extend beyond his organizational role; he has made scholarly contributions by publishing in national and international peer-reviewed journals and has presented in numerous engagements including the International Disaster Management Conference. His dedication to enhancing emergency management and business continuity practices underscores his commitment to ensuring the safety of healthcare
Cyber Crisis Rx: Tools for Healthcare Resilience
Cyber disruptions continue to be on the rise across critical infrastructure sectors, with healthcare being the most targeted sector to date. Given this increasing threat, the Greater New York Hospital Association developed the Cyber Disruption Toolkit to help hospitals prepare for and respond to a cyber disruption at their facility. This toolkit provides guidance and best practices to help emergency managers, hospital operations staff, clinical leaders, and information technology professionals prepare for, respond to, and recover from a cyber disruption. This presentation highlights the major cyber threats that healthcare is currently facing, with a focus on real-world cyber disruptions that have delayed patient care and caused widespread communication impacts. Participants will be presented with a hypothetical scenario, based on real-life incidents, where templates and resources in the toolkit will be applied. These tools can then be used by participants to apply to their own organization’s cyber disruption planning, leveraging these best practices and lessons learned. Additionally, participants will learn about HHS’s Cyber Performance Goals and future implications on regulatory requirements.
Nicole Ziogas is the current project manager on the emergency preparedness team at the Greater New York Hospital Association. Within her role, she is responsible for a wide range of emergency preparedness and response projects and activities. She most recently was the architect of the Cyber Disruption Toolkit and continues to work on a wide range of cyber initiatives for GNYHA members. Prior to joining GNYHA, she worked with the NYC DOHMH in the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Nicole holds a dual degree BA in Biology and Psychology from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MPH from the City University of New York Graduate School for Public Health and Health Policy.
Andrew Dahl is the Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). In this role, Andrew works with GNYHA’s 160 hospital and health system members on issues related to emergency care, security, and emergency preparedness, providing advocacy, coordinating with government partners, and fostering opportunities to share best practices and lessons learned. Prior to joining GNYHA, Andrew worked in emergency management at NYU Langone Health and for the City of Philadelphia. He earned a BS in Public Health from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and an MPA from New York University.
Reframing Healthcare Downtimes Incidents as Patient Safety Emergencies – Lessons Learned from CrowdStrike
Unplanned digital downtime events pose real threats to patient safety within the healthcare environment. As the healthcare industry is ever more reliant on technology to support patient care the ability to rapidly pivot when technology is impacted becomes increasingly challenging. By treating downtimes as patient safety emergencies, it deepens the role of clinical and operational safety leaders and reframes the focus on creating plans and solution to maximize patient safety. This was a critical element to the response by Mass General Brigham to the CrowdStrike incident. Here we share lessons learned in prioritizing patient safety at our academic medical centers and as part of a system-wide response.
Jennifer Shearer is the Director of Emergency Preparedness for Massachusetts General Hospital. She joined the MGH team is 2019 and has served in significant leadership roles for a variety of emergency events including COVID-19, Mpox, and the recent CrowdStrike incident. Jennifer received her Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan in hospital epidemiology.
Achieving a Culture of Zero Violence: Leadership Strategies to Reduce the Risk and Anxiety of Patients, Staff, and Visitors
Violence is one of the most significant occupational hazards facing health care workers today. According to OSHA, 75% of all violence in any workplace occurs in a healthcare setting. Additionally, the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) Foundation Research Committee's latest hospital crime survey found that in 2019, assaults by patients jumped 25% and aggravated assaults more than doubled compared to the previous year. Violence reduction programs should be focused on developing a system-wide approach that recognizes every health care system as a community, with every floor being a unique neighborhood, each with different dynamics. Building trust, transparency, and training along with implementing a system-wide Community Policing Based strategy focused on reducing risk and anxiety through exceptional experience-based nontraditional contacts, staff training, professionalism, and critical incident response, form the basis from which a robust security program is built.
Brian currently serves as the Senior Director of DPSS for the University of Michigan and Director of Security for the University of Michigan Health System, Michigan Medicine. Brian is also a sworn police officer for the University. He manages over 300 public safety staff members for a system that has 40,000 employees that see over five Million patients a year.
Brian retired as the Assistant Chief of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety in Kalamazoo, Michigan after 23 years. He is the recipient of the Kalamazoo Public Safety Medal of Valor and Kalamazoo Public Safety Lifesaving award.
Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, along with being a Board-Certified Protection Professional (CPP) Board-Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator (CHPA) and Board-Certified Threat Manager (CTM)