It’s that time of year again, when we set our clocks ahead and lose a precious hour of sleep. It’s also when we typically check or replace our smoke alarm batteries to ensure we’re safeguarded in the months ahead. So, what better time for you, as a contingency planning professional, to review your organization’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Continuity of Operations/Government Plan (COOP/COG), Business Continuity Plan (BCP)? Or, perhaps make the necessary preparations to conduct some form of exercise in the coming weeks? Exactly, and the experts at BOLDplanning agree wholeheartedly!

The BOLDplanning team cannot emphasize enough the importance of routine testing to ensure your organization’s readiness to respond to and recover from emergency and continuity events. As a best practice, emergency and continuity plans should be reviewed and updated at least yearly. Certain contracts, grants, regulations and standards even require you to do so.

Take for example, a Medicare or Medicaid-funded healthcare facility, such as a hospital, long-term care facility or hospice.

If these operations are looking to receive reimbursement for treatment, they must comply with the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule. This requires them to review and update their plans annually, provide a training program for existing staff and new hires, and to conduct a minimum of two exercises per year—one tabletop (discussion) and one full-scale (operational), while including or participating with local government agencies.

It can feel a bit overwhelming at times. Having facilitated thousands of exercises over the years, BOLDplanning’s experienced and highly credentialed team is adept at helping organizations like yours achieve an objective assessment of their capabilities, strengths and needed improvements. Education, training, and exercise are essential to creating and fostering an organizational culture of preparedness. Staff always gain a much better understanding of their organization’s EOP, COOP/COG or BCP, and perhaps more importantly, confidence in their role as contributors. And, you end up with a rock-solid plan to carry your organization through until the next review.

Don’t lose any sleep over your EOP, COOP/COG or BCP. Learn more about BOLDplanning’s comprehensive Training & Exercising program now by emailing info@BOLDplanning.com or calling 615.469.5558. And, don’t forget to set those clocks forward, or to check your smoke alarm batteries, this weekend. Be prepared. Be BOLD.