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Protect your facility in the face of disaster

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, August 1, 2007

With the devastation of Hurricane Katrina still fresh in our minds and a new hurricane season upon us again, it's a good time to review the HIPAA security rule. HIPAA requires organizations to have a disaster recovery plan that outlines what procedures to take to restore the loss of data.

Although your organization may have a general disaster plan that meets the requirement, your plan should go beyond HIPAA regulations and focus on protecting the facility's business interests. Natural or manmade catastrophic disasters can occur anywhere and at any time. Ensure that your facility is prepared by adhering to the following advice:

·          Establish an easy-to-follow plan. Loss-of-information concerns are different in healthcare than in other industries. To prepare your organization for a disaster, you need an effective plan that details what would be required to keep the plan up to date and easy to execute.

·          Keep geographic location in mind. The list of potential non-natural disasters that can affect data will differ for each organization based on its location. Along with natural disasters, consider how your organization would combat a fire, power outage, theft, or even inability to contact a staff member who has specific necessary information. Identify potential disasters in your plan and assign specific responsibilities.

·          Put your plan to the test at least once a year on site and at the actual recovery site where you back up your data, if applicable.

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