On Sept. 16, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule instituting new emergency preparedness requirements for healthcare facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. 

The implementation date for the Conditions of Participation (CoP) requirement is Nov. 15, 2017, according to an article on the Occupational Health & Safety website.

The new regulations apply to 17 provider types, including hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAH), ambulatory surgical centers, and long-term care facilities.

This rule establishes national emergency preparedness requirements that include adequately planning for disasters that fall on a continuum between disruptive to disastrous. Also, organizations must define their response to emergencies and how they will collaborate and coordinate with federal, state, tribal, regional, and local emergency preparedness systems. The bottom line is health care facilities must develop a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that will meet the needs of patients, the community, and their staff during disasters and emergency situations, the article said.

Read the article.