...Crisis Management Plan for DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Alishia Keef Healthcare Communication/HCS 350 April 13, 2015 Diane Rodriguez Time is short, and decisions must be made quickly in a crisis or disaster. Communication systems are often the first recovery area disabled during a crisis. For example, if a Category 5 tornado hit DCH Regional Medical Center, it would experience major disruption because it sits directly in the center of downtown Tuscaloosa, which is a major university city in Alabama. This situation was seen during the April 27, 2011 tornado in Tuscaloosa with many nurses and doctors even being stranded at their assigned posts. The landline phones and cell phone towers were inoperable when the power systems went down. The hospital would also experience added stress due to injured residents flocking to receive emergency treatment. Because physician orders are faxed to the pharmacy and outside specialists, the entire system would have severe delays in care delivery. It would also be difficult to call extra staff in because travel into the area and out of the area was impossible due to roads being covered with debris. As a result, the burden was they may also be injured at home or without telecommunication equipment. All communications would have to be face-to-face in person. This interpersonal contact has become so rare during our technological age that employees could be expected to experience very high levels of stress. During the immediate...
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...Crisis Management Plan Jessica Fullerton University of Phoenix Healthcare Communication HCS 350 Professor Ricki-Beth Horowitz Crisis Management Plan In this paper, I will describe a crisis management communication plan for a hospital, which I am familiar with as I work at a hospital. First there will be a discussion about how communication may be effected during a crisis or disaster. Then I will describe three ways to manage stress while in a situation like this. Lastly, I will walk through three ways to resolve potential challenges in communication, caused by tumultuous situations as described. Crises can be defined as: a natural disaster, such as earthquakes or hurricanes; an attack, any sort of improvised device causing casualties; or even chemical warfare. There are many variations of crises defined in, The Essentials of Public Health Preparedness (Katz, 2013). In a hospital during a crisis, we are expecting to see an influx in patients, sometimes overwhelming amounts, during times of crisis it is important to maintain effective communication. Hospitals are in constant communication with regional medical authorities; these systems help alert a broader network to the needs of the community at large. On a smaller scale the Hospital Emergency departments are in communication over radio with local police and fire departments, this communication is critical for the hospital to function properly. Allowing the hospital to know when critical patients are entering the...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan There are unquestionably infinite configurations of crisis situations to be prepared for, real or imagined. Unsurprisingly, the surge of zombies in mainstream society has granted credibility to an idea that a zombie apocalypse might manifest. The proliferation associated with this unique theory has encouraged scores of citizens to contemplate, “How do I ready for a zombie apocalypse?” Even though zombies are hype, they effortlessly link within our imagination of disaster and emergency preparedness as seen in the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention advertising maneuver in 2011. The agency trusted it to be an excellent stimulus to get the public to pull together for an emergency. One must be prepared for terrorist/zombie attacks, natural disasters or pandemics. This paper will target the communication plan employed in a health care organization during a crisis management. Moreover, it will include how communication dynamics differ in times of disaster, three solutions to reduce stress during a crisis and three approaches to resolve potential communication challenges. Disasters are the ultimate test of emergency response capability (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). A health care organization needs a crisis communications plan to successfully handle unexpected and unstable conditions of extreme danger. No matter what the role is, nurse, physician, emergency preparedness coordinator or facilities manager — everyone...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan Communication is a very important aspect in the health care setting. During major crisis communication lines may be affected by mechanical failures, downed phone lines, or electrical shortages. The crisis will also affect family members, staff members, and even media outside the hospital. In times of crisis everyone has to think critically about completing tasks and making quick decisions so that the most effective solution and safety is accomplished. In all health care organization there are policies and procedures on what to do during mass trauma, disaster or fire crisis that is implemented for the safety of all employees and patients. The plan for crisis communication would be to prepare and document internal and external emergencies through the organization. Although the plan cannot prepare us for every situation, the policies, procedures, and benefits of the health care facility can help contain the situation, prevent injury, death, and helps provide health and medical resources to patients During major disaster lines of communication systems may become disrupted. Wireless telephone networks, radio, television broadcast, satellite, and internet may be interrupted. This could add stressors during emergencies because it would prevent effective communication from being transferred. Communication dynamics can cause stress which in turn can affect everyone physically, emotionally, psychological. This can impact communication when...
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...A Crisis Management Communication Plan One must always expect the unexpected and prepare for the unforeseen in order to live up honestly to the universal principles of health care. Beyond the standard day-to-day challenges, this necessity of preparedness is pushed to the extreme in the event of a mass causality incident (MCI). A large explosion in a crowded stadium represents the epitome of crisis management, as present emergency medical officials are immediately overwhelmed and the high number of casualties can overwhelm even the largest of hospitals—requiring adherence to a general crisis management plan. The near proximity between the explosion and the hospital, as well as the high concentration of casualties in one place, pose unique challenges that would not otherwise be present and require a higher degree of emergency communication to be effective. The Scenario On a Thursday night, the Fresno Grizzly baseball team is hosting an exhibition game with the San Francisco Giants at Chukchansi Park baseball stadium with an attendance of just over 14,000 people. During the planned post-game firework show, there is a mechanical error, causing a long series of explosions. The far section of the stadium is immediately structurally damaged and collapses, while a gas fire quickly erupts, engulfing over half of the stadium and several nearby buildings. Chaos quickly erupts in the nearby area, as crowds from the stadium and the nearby Seland Arena erratically stampede into the streets...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan HCS/350 11 Nov 2013 Crisis Management Crises are events that have the ability to threaten the viability of the organizations within which they occur. Crises are extraordinary events with great potential to do harm to people, businesses, and organizations. Crisis management consists of three distinct phases: crisis prevention, crisis response, and recovery from the crisis. This paper will focus on the communication that is used during the management of a crisis. It will briefly describe how communication dynamics differ in times of crises, ways to reduce stress during a crisis, and ways to resolve communication challenges. Communication Dynamics Communication dynamics may differ during times of crisis, mass trauma, or disaster simply because of the stress levels that are associated with them and the staff members that are affected during the situation as well. Resolution of communication problems requires creativity (Pearson & Sommer, 2011). The more creative the staff is, the quicker they can resolve the issue at hand and communicate more effectively. If a staff member who is normally quiet and well-mannered becomes loud, irritable, and aggressive during a crisis this can disrupt the entire team. If there is more than one staff member who has a personality or demeanor that changes during a crisis it will create chaos in the department. The department manager needs to know of these possible changes and have a way to circumvent...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan Katherina Fabi HCS/350 February 4, 2014 Djuanique N. Slaughter, MPA, RHIT Crisis Management Communication Plan Crisis is defined as an unexpected, sudden turn of events or set of circumstances requiring an immediate human response. The word crisis comes from the Greek root word krisis, meaning “turning point.” There are different types of crisis: developmental, situational, and adventitious crisis. In health care settings, most crises are situational. For example, while working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a client who was awake and alert two hours ago, suddenly became unresponsive. The client was assessed for responsiveness. The client was not breathing and pulseless. Immediately, a code blue was paged overhead, and the team rushed over. The team consists of the primary nurse, emergency physician, respiratory therapist, critical care nurse, recorder, and the emergency medical technician (EMT). The House Supervisor and charge nurse are also available to direct traffic and assist with the code blue. Each team has their own roles and responsibilities during a code. A team leader is usually the critical care nurse until the emergency physician arrives, and he or she takes over the role as team leader. The team leader designates the recorder, the nurse who is administering the intravenous medications, someone doing the compressions, and someone giving breath to the client. Each one working together as a team to resuscitate...
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...[Furniture Company Crisis Management Plan] [For: Furniture Company] I. Purpose: In the event of any business disruption or interruption that pose threats of damages to life, property or reputation to furniture company, which are specifically listed under Section II of this document as Critical Scenarios/Incidents of Medical Emergencies/Attacks against the furniture company’s Integrity & Reputation, this document provides a contingent plan of actions comprising communications responses, mitigation processes, recovery procedures that shall be implemented by the designated key II. Risk Management Approach Risk Identification * Analysis of high-level deliverables * Analysis of the WBS and project schedule * Analysis of scope change requests * Analysis of project assumptions * Project team input (which can take the form of interviews, brainstorming sessions, rand/or Delphi technique) * Stakeholder and sponsor input * Formal risk identification sessions * Previous lessons learned * SQA audits and reviews * Performance and status reports * Diagramming techniques such as cause and effect diagrams, process or system flows, and influence diagrams. Risk Analysis * The probability that the risk will occur * The impact of the risk if it occurs Response Planning There are 5 steps when response planning which include; avoid, transfer, mitigate and accept. III. Critical Scenarios/Incidents of Medical Emergencies/Attacks...
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...TERRORISM AND THE MILITARY ROLE CRISIS MANAGEMENT Terrorism and the Military’s Role in Domestic Crisis Management Angela Tyler Principles of Management Professor Jones May 3, 2012 TERRORISM AND THE MILITARY ROLE CRISIS MANAGEMENT 1 I am going to discuss a crisis management plan, “Terrorism and the Military’s Role in Domestic Crisis Management”. This crisis management plan will explore how to reviews the current legislation and policies that govern the military’s role when supporting law enforcement in a domestic terrorism crisis and highlights some of the issues confronting the U.S. government. To fully understand the military’s role in domestic crisis response it is necessary to explore existing national level structures and response options prior to the involvement of military forces. (Terrorism and the Military’s Role in Domestic Crisis Management, 2003) Crisis management is predominately a law enforcement function that manages the resources necessary to prevent or resolve a terrorist incident. Current U.S. government terrorism response policy is contained in presidential directives. Among other matters, these directives address National Security Council structure and federal agency crisis response roles when responding to a domestic terrorism incident. (Terrorism and the Military’s Role in Domestic Crisis Management, 2003, CRS6, para 3, line 7). National Security Council (NSC), U.S. agency...
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...Develop Crisis Management Plans 1 Hurricane and Storm Short term: Purchasing proper insurance. Long term: Changing facility location and opening new branches. 10 Demand Shortfall Short term: Construct business relationship with more potential customers and establish more business opportunity. Long term: Investing on research and development to improve core competency. 11 Customer Retention Short term: Establish intimate and loyal relationship with your current customers and achieve your customers’ trust. Long term: Find more customer and build trust with them and improve their satisfaction. 12 Industry/Sector Downturn Short term: Purchasing proper insurance. Long term: Optimize asset allocation and diverse investment. 13 Supply Shortcut Short term: Increase order quantity properly. Long term: Find alternative option. Take High-Level Risk Management Actions 5 Poor supplier quality Short term: Introduce supplier audit regularly and urge the supplier to get proper certificate to improve and ensure the product quality. Long term: Developing a supplier evaluation and selection process. Monitoring and predicting supplier financial health. Manage Risk Events as Required 2 Radiation Short term: Seeking more qualified suppliers. Long term: Switch to alternative suppliers. 8 Employee issues Short term: Introduce background check of new employee. Long term: Developing an employee evaluation and training process. 9 Bribery and Corruption Short term: Provide...
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...Nestlé Crisis management Contingency Plan 1. Problem analysis 2. Course of Action 3. Strategic Communications Plan 3.1) Communication Infrastructure 3.2) Nestlé Communication goals 3.3) Target Audience 3.4). Image Enhancement Message 3.5) Communications Channels and Outlets 3.6) Facebook as Communication Channel 3.7) Strategies for Social Network Communications 3.8) Strategic Communications Plan Key Performance Indicators 4. References Problem Analysis Nestlé has established itself as a leader in the world of nutrition and foods. However, the attack by Greenpeace that Nestlé fell subject to has taken its toll on the company image, as well as on the market price of company shares. The purpose of this document is to highlight the course of action that was taken, the problems that occurred as a result of these actions as well as solutions. Also included in this document is a proposed strategic communications plan that can be implemented by Nestlé to manage all its online & social media communications. The environmental awareness group Greenpeace claimed that Nestlé was contributing to deforestation by using palm-oil because suppliers expanded oil-palm plantations, paying no heed to the lives of the orangutans which inhibit the forests which would be lost. Greenpeace then proceeded to lead its attack on Nestlé by posting an altered version of Kitkat’s...
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...Communication to Manage Crisis HCS/320 Communication to Manage Crisis Those who work in hospitals have to face crisis. It may happen in the emergency room or even in the manager’s office. Hospital employees need to be ready for such events. Coombs 1999 states that no organization can guarantee that they will not have any crisis. According to Reynolds 2006, crisis may occur internally or externally for the organization but when it occurs people’s lives may be at stake and at the same time the reputation of the company may get jeopardized. During crisis communication as well as improper communication can play a great role. For lack of communication right things may not be done and crisis may occur. Even a rumor may spread and crisis may happen. Communication methods to be adopted during a crisis have been talked about a lot but defining crisis is not so easy. According to Heath 2006, before defining the crisis, the risks need to be identified. According to him a risk may have both negative and positive influences of different levels. If anything happens to people, communication with them can tell us a lot and it can be understood whether crisis can be overcome. Whether reputation can be left intact needs to be understood. I am acting as the director of the Regional Emergency Office and I got reports about the public water that had been infected with something fatal. The pollutant is a biological element that has life threatening effect. We know that biological agents...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan Grace Parisi HCS/350 12-15-14 Benjamin Ovando Crisis Management Communication Plan Effectively communicating is crucial when preparing and managing a crisis, mass trauma or disaster. In any of these situations proper structure and organization needs to be in place. This includes assigning responsibilities and training staff to follow certain procedures to successfully manage and continue to operate under the stress of the unplanned event. When dealing with a crisis we need to have open, truthful and timely communication. So we can actively work and support each other. A crisis can be any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of the facility or company. The important thing is to identify the situation and notify whoever needs to be involved. This may be a charge person, VP, CEO and maybe public relations. Then collaborate with each other, then come up with a plan to put it into motion. In a mass trauma it is important to promote safety. This means getting people to a safe place and making sure they know they are safe. Trying to help people remain calm and decrease their anxiety. If anxiety remains high it can interfere with physical and psychological well-being. In emergencies people need to be able to trust and be trustworthy of the person communicating information. “A trusted source of information is the most important resilient asset that any individual or group cab have”. (Longstaff, 2005). When a disaster strikes...
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...Communication and Crisis Paper Yahaira Jorge HCS/320 January 13, 2014 Ms. Tricia Tran Communication and Crisis My name is Yahaira Jorge and I am the director of the regional Emergency Management Office. We have begun to receive official reports of contaminated water with a life-threatening biological agent. As director, I have many priorities in getting this situation under control, but most importantly will need to be in communication with all the organizations involved. Putting our crisis plan into immediate effect will hopefully keep everything organized. The ultimate goal will be to get the information out to the public with a plan, swiftly but making sure not to create panic along the way. Also making sure to get the support from our fire departments and police officers to participate in giving bottles of water to our people not to get sick and ill from this contaminated water. A quick response is very important in a crisis situation. In order to have a quick response, a crisis plan is necessary. A crisis plan will vary from institution to institution, but most will follow similar guidelines. First and foremost, notifications of the situation or event to communications lead, or second in command. This is important because if there is a delay in getting the information to a higher person in command, that could create a bigger mess than needed. Secondly, notify the institution leaders and staff, and ancillary management. Making sure the appropriate management receives the...
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...PEPSI COLA CRISIS Yeşim Ekici, M.Sc Bahçeşehir University CONTENTS Brief History of Pepsi Crisis Crisis Management Analysis and Comments References CONTENTS Brief History of Pepsi Crisis Crisis Management Analysis and Comments Brief History of PEPSI 1891- 1935: faced bankruptcy twice 1898: becomes known as Pepsi Cola, formulated Pepsi-Cola 1941: First signs of success Listed on New York Stock Exchange 1964: formulated Diet Pepsi 1965: PepsiCo, Inc. was established through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lays Named one of the world’s top beverage companies CONTENTS Brief History of Pepsi Crisis Crisis Management Analysis and Comments CONTENTS Brief History of Pepsi Crisis Timeline of Crisis Crisis Management Analysis and Comments CRISIS PepsiCo was entering peak sales season (Memorial Day to Labor Day) June 9, 1993: Syringe found in Diet Pepsi can (Tacoma, Washington) Hypodermic syringes in cans which cause HIV/AIDS When the crisis hit, days later on: more than 50 new reports in more than 20 states with objects including: Syringes, a wood screw, a bullet, a crack cocaine vial and a broken sew needle TIMELINE OF CRISIS *2 more complaints reported 1 from Los Angeles; 1 from Pennyslvania *First complaint reported in Tacoma , Washington JUNE 9 JUNE 10 *FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) issues 5 states alert advising consumers to inspect their sodas by pouring JUNE 13 JUNE 14 *Multiple complaints reported from...
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