Hospital in Crisis - I need your help for upcoming contingency planning meeting!!!
I work for one of the largest hospitals in our state (located in the Northwest). First, a little info about the Y2K work being done at my hospital.
In the beginning of this year the hospital provided the employees with an internal Y2K website listing the readiness of the hospital. They started to provide meeting minutes from IR, legal, engineering, etc. The minutes indicated they expected some serious problems. They began providing articles related to the healthcare industry, and other crucial info. Articles where Bennett and GAO state "Medicare won't make it", etc.
The hospital launched their contingency planning team in May of 99. They began distributing their meeting minutes on the website, the team was to meet every week for the remainder of the year. They got through the first two weeks, and stopped posting them. When you look on the contingency meeting schedule, a lot of the meetings have been canceled.
The hospital announced in Jan. 99 they would be complete by June. That came and went, they are still no where near finished. They announced in Feb. 99 that they would conduct a scheduled Y2K disaster scenario in May of 99. That came and went. Now they are announcing one for Oct. 99.
They have completed a Y2K contingency plan - about 400 pages worth. I was very interested in it when it appeared but as I looked through it, it is the exact same disaster plan that we have been using for the past 10 years with a different Cover - Y2K Contingency Plan. It appears some genius ran the old disaster plan down to Kinko's and had 3 or 4 dozen printed up with the Y2K Contingency Plan cover. It appears they have put absolutely no thought what so ever into contingencies for Y2K, but they have accomplished one step they needed to, that's to keep JACO off their backs (the accreditation commission).
There is no leadership in the hospital (sounds like Uncle Sam - huh). The hospital has put reports on its site that indicate that if things go bad, we will be inundated by the public - nursing homes, etc., all looking for somewhere to go. They began to provide info for the employees that they were going to bring trailers (mobile homes) into the parking lot to keep the families of workers on the premises so that the nursing staff would show up. That info is now all gone. The administration now says no problems - nothing to fear but fear itself.
The contingency plan for security and employees in the manual is BLANK. What chance does a company have if it has not made contingencies for its number one asset, its employees?
The hospital is having a contingency meeting on September 20th that I will be attending. I want to be prepared as possible going into this meeting with as much research as I can. The hospital is a key part of the area, if the hospital goes down, or is not properly prepared for the influx of people, what chance does the community as a whole have?
I have been a lurker on the forum since mid 98 (posted a few times), and have come to rely on the tremendous info that this forum produces. I truly believe this forum and the regulars are making a big difference in many peoples lives. My family and I have been prepared for the better part of the year and or bracing for an 8+.
I am now interested in trying to get the hospital and the community moving. Here is where I need your help. Specifically, I am interested in links, quotes and articles devoted to Y2k in the following areas and any other you believe could help:
1. Medicaid/Medicare industry
2. GAO reports on Hospital and health care industry
3. Pharmaceutical industry (including quotes and links on how much of the raw materials are shipped from over seas)
4. Integration of the systems - I saw a great post on this about 1 week ago.
5. I have been looking for the link to Robin Guineer's (Head of UK task force 2000) quote on "No one knows how this thing is going to play out, but it is very difficult to be optimistic particularly if you look at the global situation, but we are much more likely to have panic amongst an uninformed populous than an informed one".
6. Has anyone seen any articles on the Gov't increasing its campaign to the public to the seriousness of Y2K - I heard Paula Gordon confirm that this would start to happen in October.
7. Need a link to February's Senate report on Health Care.
8. Need a link to the quote that health care makes up 1/7 of the countries economy.
9. Need a link to GM's CEO stating "that GM is facing a catastrophe"!!
10. I remember a quote "Y2K has the potential to be one of the most devastating disasters in this country" (or something to that effect). I not sure of the link - possibly the Senate report on Feb. 22 - any ideas?
Again, any and all info that you think might help to make these people think about how important health care is and what may happen to the community as a whole if TSHTF.
Thanks so much for your help in this - I will check back with you and let you know how the meeting went.
Thanks again - Matt
September 04, 1999
greenspun.com
If you're interested in healthcare information, the responses here are exceptional. Many have detailed in-depth information and links related to healthcare.
Cheryl
117 days until 2000 |
