Funding a First-Class Emergency Management Program

(7/15/2024)

Between weather disasters, technology failures and man-made crises, hospital leaders often find themselves having to put their emergency response plans to the test. Too often, those responsibilities are assigned as additional duties to staff in other healthcare roles such as the facilities manager, emergency department director, or even administrative personnel. That model is no longer viable.

Between weather disasters, technology failures and man-made crises, hospital leaders often find themselves having to put their emergency response plans to the test. Too often, those responsibilities are assigned as additional duties to staff in other healthcare roles such as the facilities manager, emergency department director, or even administrative personnel. That model is no longer viable.  

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some hospitals rush to over-staff emergency management teams after suffering significant impact from disasters — the last pandemic or a devastating hurricane, for example. After a few years, they can no longer justify the cost and let those professionals go, reverting to former processes that made them vulnerable.  

There’s a sweet spot for emergency management teams. 

Blending safety + emergency management   

In our experience managing over 160 hospitals and 2,600 sites of care, we’ve had great success in combining safety and emergency management into a joint team responsibility. These teams work each day to sustain the environment of care, and are able to pivot and lead response to disasters, whether it’s a utility outage, a train wreck, or the next pandemic. This blend of everyday safety with disaster planning and response helps to justify the dollars spent on full-time positions.  

Planning for self-sufficiency  

If any aspect of your emergency plan hinges on external saviors, you’ll be in for some painful surprises. In an earlier post, we explored why it’s vital to plan for a self-sufficient emergency response versus competing with your local community for precious few resources, much like shoppers emptying grocery shelves and grabbing the last loaf of bread before a storm.

Instead, your organization should secure resources before they’re needed and leverage partnerships, such as out-of-state suppliers who can step in when local sources are exhausted. Because we cultivate a number of those partnerships, Medxcel client facilities are often able to access supplies that other hospitals in their area can’t. We’re also able to access grants and financial assistance to reimburse costs for disasters or fund capital projects to make our facilities more resilient. (In the past five years, Medxcel has secured more than $150M in grants and assistance funds, enabling our client facilities to keep operations running and put money back into clinical care.) 

Building or enhancing your emergency management program

Looking for guidance in building a strong emergency management program that can withstand real-world crises? We’d love to help. Download the resource below and let us know what questions we can answer for you.