Posted in: Triangle Times Today

Volume 2 | Issue 8 | August 2023

AAAHC releases updated Emergency Drills Toolkit

The Emergency Drills Toolkit educates ambulatory health care organizations on how to prepare before an actual disaster occurs. The toolkit provides guidance on conducting and evaluating emergency drill processes and procedures that help primary care and surgical/procedural organizations meet the standards set by accrediting bodies, federal and state regulatory agencies, and other national organizations.

A variety of issues can lead to emergencies in health care
settings including:

  • Patient factors or pre-existing conditions
    (e.g., falls, cardiopulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, opioid
    overdose, predisposition to malignant hyperthermia, drug hypersensitivity)
  • Medical interventions
    (e.g., anesthesia, extended procedure times, stress testing)
  • Facility issues
    (e.g., fire, power loss, incapacitated staff)
  • Inclement weather
    (e.g., tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding)
  • Terrorist or other human-caused, life-threatening situations
    (e.g., homicidal and/or suicidal actions, active shooter, bomb threat, hostage situation, bioterrorism)

Improve readiness

Scenario based drills or simulations of real-life emergencies allows participants to apply their skills in a safe controlled situation which in turn improves readiness to respond to actual emergency situations.

The Emergency Drills Toolkit outlines the steps for conducting an effective drill and provides sample drill evaluation forms to help document performance throughout the drill process. References are provided for further information and guidance.

Conferences and Exhibits

  • California Ambulatory Surgery Association (CASA)
    Sep 13–15
  • Ohio Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (OAASC)
    Sep 19–20
  • Becker’s ASC Business and Operations of ASCs
    Oct 26–28
  • IHI Forum — Institute for Healthcare Improvement
    Dec 10–13

1095 Learn

Achieving Accreditation

  • Virtual, Sep 18–20
  • Onsite, Dec 7–8 (Las Vegas)

To learn the latest, please visit our website.

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