The Three C's of Responding to an Emergency (2024)

If you work at or operate a health facility, you know that emergencies can strike at any time. From havingadequate supplies on handto developing comprehensive emergency protocols, there is a lot that should be done to ensure your facility is properly prepared for a crisis. By being thorough in your preparation process, you can mitigate the damages done to your facility and protect both your patients and employees.

In order to better ensure safety and awareness in the face of a crisis, follow the three C’s:

• Check
• Call
• Care

The Three C’s and Your Facility

Check

The first C of emergency response is‘check’which is meant to represent checking for anything that may be unsafe. In the event of a crisis, first, fully assess the situation as you and your staff may require assistance from emergency personnel before responding. For example, if there is a fire in your facility, or there has been an accident near your facility, check the environment before rushing into the situation, as there is a chance that it may be unsafe or more assistance may be needed. Prematurely rushing into a scene to aid or care could potentially cause more harm than good. By first checking the scene, you can fully assess the situation and get a gauge of what kind of response is needed.

Call

In a disaster situation, it is always important to‘call’emergency personnel or local authorities regardless of the situation. Once you’ve called for assistance, it is crucial that you gather any additional information about the disaster so that you can pass it on to the emergency responders. Getting local authorities involved right away can ensure that the problem is remedied while causing as little harm as possible to all involved.

Care

After you’ve checked the scene and called for authorities, you should instruct your employees to administer‘care’to the best of your team’s abilities. While members of your staff may need to defer to more specialized medical professionals, deploying even basic treatment after a disaster can benefit the long-term well-being of victims.

Why Medical Facilities Should Prepare for The Worst

Training your employees on the basics of the three C’s can make for timely responses to emergencies and better ensure the safety of patients.

As a medical facility that treats Medicaid and Medicare patients, it is crucial that you adequately prepare for any emergency that may arise. Any number of crises can strike your facility, from floods and storms to fires and active shooters, andbeing prepared can help you avoid a worst-case scenario.

Emergency plans that you develop for your organization, must meet guidelines set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These disaster preparedness guidelines, which were put into place on September 8th, 2016, specify that Medicaid and Medicare facilities:

• Establish clear steps as to what to do in the event of a natural disaster.
• Include the training of staff on new preparedness regulations.
• Address the needs of patients including procuring supplies necessary for survival.

How CNECT GPO Can Help Your Facility Prepare for a Disaster

CNECT is agroup purchasing organization (GPO)that can assist in gathering the resources and materials necessary to help you train your employees in the basics of disaster preparedness. Through our comprehensive roster of over 3,000 contracts from industry-leading suppliers, we’ll give you access to savings opportunities and supply-chain optimization strategies that can help you prepare training materials and save in the process. As a member, you’ll also be granted access to exclusive educational webinars and weekly newsletters that cover a broad range of topics including disaster preparedness.Contact a CNECT representative todayto learn more about becoming a member.