...that belongs to the ministry of health of Saudi Arabia. The fire was tragic, caused the death of 25 people and 127 injuries. The crisis grabbed media attention and different official entities in Saudi Arabia. This report will describe the situation and analyze the communication management of this crisis, how the ministry handled it, the communication effectiveness and some ethical issues. In addition, the report will provide some recommendations to handle such crisis. Situation Description Crisis Situation Overview The hospital in which the fire happened is located in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. That region has a low population number. The fire started early morning on Thursday, the 24th of December 2015. The tragedy is high, as 25 people died and 127 were injured. The numbers are big and that caused the incident to be considered as a national disaster. People in social media such as Tiwtter and Facebook started talking about the fire. Videos and pictures were spread around and people shared them. Some citizens volunteered to rescue people from the fire and help in evacuation. Initial response from the ministry was to acknowledge the fire incident. It stated also that the evacuation of children was successful and all children were rescued. A later announcement from the ministry is to assign a call center number for patients’ families to call and ask about patients’ situation. A TV interview with the general manager of health affairs in Jazan was conducted...
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...Communication and Crisis HCS/320 02/02/2015 Communication and Crisis In today’s health care crisis, essential communication is the key to establishing a solution for every healthcare organization. As a director of a regional emergency management office, I received official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated. When something comes up, that is very urgent and very important such as a life-threatening biological agent; the organization is facing an event defined as a health crisis. According to Issues and Crisis Communications Management : “Crisis - Any immediate situation that causes deviation from regular operating practices and has the ability to impact your organization's corporate reputation or value” . Health care crisis used to be handled in the past by a limited communication system such as television and radio. Those days, the newer communication technologies such as internet and media are more involved to inform the public about the latest news minute by minute. To control the crisis, the organization has a crisis plan to help hold the situation and contain the spread of the crisis. A well-conceived crisis communication plan will guide our emergency management office and its team from different departments such as communication office confidently through immediate and near-term steps and outline actions. Communication inside and outside the organization during a crisis is essential. A group...
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...Communication is an act of conveying information from several forms of exchange, such as, speech, message, visuals, writing, signals, and behavior. This form of exchange can be between two or more individuals. When communicating with someone there are several important steps to take when you are needing to succeed in a task. Such as a disaster or a form of a crisis, proper communication is critical in the situation. Once a crisis arise in your community pertaining contaminated water there are vital steps to take to address within your organization and out side of the organization. Working in a regional emergency management office having a plan before anything happens is essential in the work place. By anticipating the crisis will prepare you for a possible situation and place you ahead of miscommunication. Once the crisis does arise there are steps to proceed with. These steps will assist with active and effective communication to inform and give instructions. In this situation a step to take within and outside of your organization is to identify your crisis communication team. The team should consist of the CEO, Vice President, safety officer, organization lawyer and chief of public communication of the organization. The senior manager of the division in charge of the involved area should be included also. The individuals assigned to this team should be able to identify as to what actions should be taken and be key to the situation. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control...
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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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...TM5563: Public Health Leadership and Crisis Management | The key challenges to providing leadership during public health crises.Assignment One | Samantha Leggett: SN 12494652 | 9/16/2011 | TM5563 Public Health Leadership and Crisis Management Assignment One Introduction This assignment will define leadership and explore the traits and qualities that are deemed to be inherent to effective leadership and an explanation given for why leadership matters in times of crisis. The key challenges to leadership in both sudden and expected crises will be explored and potential solutions to these key challenges offered. Examples will be provided throughout using recent public health crises to illustrate. Leadership can typically be defined by the traits, qualities and behaviours of a leader. It has also been described as a process with a shifting locus of control in which leaders are not seen as individuals in charge of followers but as members of a “community of practice” where everyone involved in the activity is assumed to play an active role in leadership. However, even with an advanced team, there is still a need for distinct leadership to enable the whole team to be optimally successful. 1-3 It would appear that there are a number of key traits that good leaders possess, however the literature provides little concrete agreement on a finite number of these: Kambil et al. (2009) found that leaders have five key traits: Curiosity; courage - in willingness to face uncertainty...
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... Another crisis that I encounter was a fire on my floor a few years ago. An electrical fire was started in a patient‘s room at the light above the patient’s head, next to the oxygen. It happens so fast, once the fire was discovered; nurses wheeled the patients out as quickly as possible using the plan of evacuation for a fire. Removing all patients within the next two rooms, Along with evacuation of the entire floor. The nurse manager automatically ran for the fire extinguisher to demolish the fire. Unlike a regular routine of moving patients, any man power available was used. A specific person with medical expertise was assign to care for the patients, continuing medical treatment with normalcy. When there is a crisis in a healthcare setting the normal plan of care changes. Order of operation is put on hold temporarily Crisis Management plan In times of crisis a person or an organization has to think critically about the tasks for completion, making quick or planned decision into action so that the most effective solution and safety is accomplished. In a health care organization there are policies and procedures on plan of care during crisis in a mass trauma, a disaster, or a fire. Crisis communication dynamics differ from the normal routine with the emphasis on possessing; the ability to receive and communicate information swiftly, delegation is needed to avoid chaos and unwanted circumstances. Crisis management is set in...
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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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...Communication and Crisis Janelle Ovunda HCS/320 January 28, 2013 Kimberly Foster Introduction Being the director of a regional Emergency Management Office during a crisis I will have to have control. Without control the crisis will turn into a catastrophe. With an effective contingency plan in place this will help me to stay in control of the situation. I will also have alternate plans put in place just in case my key plans do not happen as expected. It will take everyone involved inside and outside of the Emergency Management Office working together to make sure the crisis is worked through and that the public remains calm. Individuals or Groups That Will Be Communicating Inside and Outside the Organization during the Crisis Anyone who communicates inside and outside the organization should be key to the crisis. There should be one person assigned to each role in my crisis communication team. In a large crisis there might be a need to go outside of my main office for support from volunteers or a nearby college [ (Services, 2006) ]. The people inside the communication team will consist of the public information officer, content and messages coordinator, media coordinator, direct public outreach coordinator, partner coordinator, and the rumor control coordinator. Each one on these will have a role to follow. The public information officer will activate the risk communication plan and direct the work related to the release of information [ (Services, 2006)...
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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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...Essential communication in a community crisis. Introduction While most people can predict a crisis, the crisis timing is not predictable. T5he problem with the fact is that, the failure to anticipate and plan for a crisis raises the odds that the crisis will be more damaging. A crisis can be defined as an event that harbors the ability to continue to do business and threatens to paralyze or shutter daily routines and operations. When the media starts showing up/ calling or family members and friends start contacting the organization, then you know you have a crisis. The most things that the media finds interesting are the creation of victims which can range from forests, rivers, air or even human beings. An organization is judged by how it handles the victims. Communication is very vital while managing a crisis. How is this even possible? What is the point of communication while managing a crisis? Analysis Whenever a crisis occurs, a quick response is employed to collect intelligence concerning the crisis. The individuals mandated to communicate within the organization during a crisis are: the Director, the Manager of the company, the Command Coordinator, the Communications Coordinator. The company would also use help from outside sources such as the State Department of Health, the media spokes man and the Red Cross Agency. While these people are helpful in managing the crisis, there are potential advantages and challenges which are...
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...and framed (Depoe et al., 2004). Health Communication Health communication research on decision-making focuses on the communication that occurs between patient-provider, patient-family, and among health professionals in making decisions. This research focuses on how decisions are made regarding treatment and prevention options (Marks, Ok, Joung, & Allegrante, 2010; Quillin, Tracy, Ancker, Mustian, Ellington, Viswanath, Miller, 2009), donor decisions (Brown et al., 2008; Smith et al., 2010), and health risk communication (Ozanne, Wittenberg, Garber, Weeks, 2010). This research tends to be both descriptive and prescriptive in approach, as the potential health outcomes studied are crucial and linked to illnesses such as cancer (Marks et al., 2010). In these contexts, decision-making is usually shared, defined as “a process in which the patient and providers consider outcome probabilities and patients’ preferences and reach a health care decision based on mutual agreement” (Orchard, King, Khalili, & Bezzina, 2012, p. 60). Embedded in this is an emphasis on the active role of the patient and the process as being a patient-centered partnership (Butz, Walker, Pulsifer, & Winklestein, 2007; Thistlethwaite, Evans, Tie, & Heal, 2006). Crisis Communication In the context of crisis communication , researchers often examine how group decision-making can cause crises, how the process occurs during crises, and how decision making functions after the crisis occurs...
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... Effective communication requires messages to be conveyed clearly to the appropriate parties, but along the way there are many communication barriers that can create misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the intended message (Burns, Bradley & Weiner, 2012). Such misunderstandings and misinterpretations are apparent in the case of Jesica Santillon. This case study will identify the social and cultural barriers that may have made it difficult for the doctors to communicate with Jesica’s family. This case study will also offer recommendations to modify the transplant process to ensure that misunderstandings are eliminated or minimized; and lastly it will propose some general communication strategies to manage communication with each group involved in this tragic case. Social and Cultural Barriers to Communication There may have been many communication barriers that hindered the doctors from effectively communicating with Jesica’s family. The language differences may have been a leading obstacle to effective communication between the physicians and the family. The family recently migrated to the United States seeking treatment for Jesica's condition and were not fluent in the English language. Immigrants that lack English skills and familiarity with diagnostic techniques and treatments used in the United States are less likely to receive the care and medical information they need (Freeman, 2013). Health literacy may have also induced the communication barrier between...
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...Crisis Management Communication Plan General communication is significant in terms of any disasters strike. In healthcare setting, when at the time of acute or prolong of crisis, mass trauma or disaster, communication is very crucial. More often, during the times of major disasters on which communication will impair are due to lack of preparation and training. In addition, failure to communicate systematically will result with chaos arising. Yet, due to the fear of the unknown, stress is increasing among healthcare staff , patients and family. To effectively control the chaotic situation, all healthcare facilities should create a frameworks to create strong leadership teams to guide the employees, and exercise about the knowledge, skills and abilities of communication in response to different type of crisis. Communication Types of Crises "Crisis is a stage of an individual who experienced from an unexpected thread, loss self controlled, or dealing with terminal illness"( Arnold.E.C., 2011). When caring patients who experienced mental illness. To achieve communication effectively, health care teams must clearly understand the different type of crisis and the caused that affecting patient's well being, Foremost, the successful of communication during crisis depend on the coping mechanism of an individual. There are many different kinds of crisis; situational crises, adventitious crisis which included mass trauma and nature disasters. A situational crises...
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...Communication And Crisis Paper Samantha Kendrick HCS/320 October 8, 2012 Henny Breen Communication And Crisis Paper As the director contingency plans would be in place according to the emergency Management office. My job would be to make the decisions to make sure the right staff was on hand. Once the staff is countable with the contingency plan as a director, we would start contacting local agencies such as, Law Enforcement and Public works to establish how severe the contamination and how widespread is. Most of all determine the agent used and was prepared to have the necessary medications to combat the agent. I would be contacting poison control to assist I would hope to have a list of Military Doctors to assist with any advice with the agents who could have been used. Delegation would be key for the me as the director to have a sound staff to assist with the workload, tensions will be high during this time and very stressful and as a director. Potential advantages within the agency would be he or she would have already been surrounded by good members and are highly trained for any circumstance. The public would be a key factor in providing feedback and how severe the reaction is. Private sectors could be a resource such as news media, and public works. The water department would be key in testing the water ways and determine who is infected, as well I would notify the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of...
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...Communication and Crisis Paper A crisis situation reports indicate that the water supply is contaminated with a life threatening biological agent in several towns and this department is handling the emergency crisis with this situation. Our department is handling the communication method of handling this crisis and informing the public of this threat and the steps they need to take to protect themselves and their families. Communication in this crisis will be crucial to keep the public calm and to present the information they will need. The media is a major source that our department is using to get our message out to the public. However, our office must be careful to prevent the media from creating a panic. Our department will be coordinating with the Emergency Operations Center, The State Emergency Management Center, Department of Health Services, Department of Natural Resources, state, and local police officials and the volunteer organizations. The uses of these internal departments will coordinate the information that will be release in this crisis situation. Updates from state and local police, firefighters, and the National Guard will keep this department updated on the current developments that is occurring in the affected areas. Our departments will coordinate all communications so information is correctly given to departments and news releases to the public. This will control and give this crisis situation the effective outcome and keep fear at a minimum ("Wisconsin...
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