The emergence and spread of COVID-19 has pushed many healthcare practices to their literal and metaphorical tipping points. With states reopening businesses and taking measures to lift lockdown restrictions, healthcare practitioners are reevaluating their approaches to pandemic treatment. In tandem with such reevaluations, healthcare practices need to make sure that they are prepared for any and all future public health crises in order to operate optimally and serve their patients when the next major public health crisis hits.
Rewrite Your Plan
An important step in preparing your practice for the next public health crisis is having a plan in place outlining what you and your practice will do when it happens. If you already have a plan but have not updated it, rewrite your plan. Keep up-to-date with the latest public health knowledge. Healthcare practices in most cases are already required to have a written plan in place. If you have not considered what you should include in your plan, the CDC has provided guidelines and resources on their website that will help in your efforts to write or rewrite your plan.
Keep Medical Supplies
One of the major issues seen in the treatment of COVID-19 patients has been limited inventory of adequate medical supplies. Inadequate supplies can endanger your workplace safety and be detrimental to your ability to function properly as a practice. It is paramount to make sure you have both adequate equipment and an adequate amount of supplies to meet the needs of your patients and your employees. Ensuring adequate medical supplies has both public health safety and financial benefits as well.
Available Training and Resources
Having the necessary resources to combat a public health crisis can be a matter of life and death. Providing your employees with the proper training, in conjunction with having a plan and having adequate supplies and equipment, is an integral step in being prepared for the next public health crisis. In the case of a pandemic, it is essential to know and understand what is being recommended by institutions like the CDC and what training and resources are available for you and your practice.
Whether you are in the throes of a pandemic or not, the best time to begin to plan for the next pandemic is now. Learn from your experiences with COVID-19. Stay informed and safe. Make the necessary adjustments to your practice’s plan so you can be ready to adequately serve and effectively protect your patients and employees.
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