Hospitals must adopt disaster management standards by Nov. 2017

Healthcare facilities must meet four best-practice standards for handling natural and man-made disasters by Nov. 2017, according to an article on the Bloomberg website.

Mandated practices include developing a comprehensive emergency plan and instituting employee training programs by Nov. 2017.

Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers also will have to develop and implement policies and procedures and establish a communications plan to coordinate patient care with state and local health departments, the article said.

The final rule was needed because existing disaster management plans don't go far enough in ensuring the safety of patients and staff in case of disaster, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said.

Read the article.