Blog

How hospital communities can work together in an emergency to save lives

In the case of a hurricane or tropical storm, your patients, staff and family member’s physical safety is your first concern, so it’s important for you to prepare an emergency plan, in advance. But even if your facility is not directly hit by a disaster, your neighborhood or community could be affected for several days or longer by power outages, blocked roads, and damage to grocery stores, gas stations, and other businesses.

Your healthcare will be a beacon of safety for your community. Is your facility prepared in case of a disaster? Is your neighbor prepared? Is your community prepared? Do you have a plan? What does it take to be prepared? What type of resources are available to you in YOUR community? These are all the questions you need to ask BEFORE an emergency strikes.

By Lee Tincher, MS, RDN

President, Meals for All, Inc.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finally released the long-expected final Rule for health care emergency preparedness. CMS wants to ensure that all healthcare providers and facilities have an emergency preparedness plan in place at all times. This new Rule has been in development from shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Recent disasters from hurricanes in New York, New Jersey and Florida to flooding in North Carolina and Louisiana to wildfires in the west have forced the evacuation of many hospitals and health care facilities. These disasters put the health and safety of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries — and the public at large — at risk. “Situations like the recent flooding remind us in the event of an emergency, the first priority of health care providers and suppliers is to protect the health and safety of their patients,” said CMS Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer Patrick Conway, MD. “Preparation, planning and one comprehensive approach for emergency preparedness is key. One life lost is one too many.” 

Meals for All Develops Vegetarian Emergency Preparedness Meals & Plan

Meals for All released their newest line of emergency preparedness meals and plan for vegetarians this month. Meals for All, launched in 2012, ­­­­was developed by an RDN team as an innovative solution for emergency preparedness. The New Vegetarian product line meets nutritional needs for all typical therapeutic diets, including texture-modified—and even puree diets.

“We are thrilled to welcome the addition of a vegetarian choice into our emergency preparedness line of products,” said Lee Tincher, President, Meals for All, Inc. “The complete nutritional vegetarian requirements have been met and there are several tasty vegetarian choices we are very excited about.” she added. “Through this addition, we are looking forward to supplying our growing US customer base with another high-quality, emergency preparedness menu choice.”