This checklist is designed to allow long-term care facilities perform a self-assessment for their readiness in the CMS Emergency Preparedness Program.
It is intended to be used as a guide to help a facility review and assess these areas to ensure compliance and assist the facility to prevent citations.

This checklist and EPP citation guide can be used when a facility is assessing their current emergency preparedness plan and for subsequent annual reviews.

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The CMS has published an advanced copy of interpretive guidance for its final emergency preparedness rule for healthcare providers. The new regulations and requirements must be met by November 15th, 2017. LeadingAge has created a working document outlining the major components of the IG for LTC Facilities.

§483.73, Requirement for LTC
The “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers” Final Rule (81 FR 63860, Sept. 16, 2016) (“Final Rule”) establishes national emergency preparedness requirements for participating providers and certified suppliers to plan adequately for both natural and man-made disasters, and coordinate with Federal, state, tribal, regional and local emergency preparedness systems.
The requirements are focused on three key essentials necessary for maintaining access to healthcare during disasters or emergencies: safeguarding human resources, maintaining business continuity, and protecting physical resources. The interpretive guidelines and survey procedures in this appendix have been developed to support the adoption of a standard all- hazards emergency preparedness program for all certified providers and suppliers while similarly including appropriate adjustments to address the unique differences of the other providers and suppliers and their patients.

WA Regional Healthcare Coalitions- where you can check in for local training of the emergency preparedness rule.

Losing power or potable water after a critical incident can have serious and significant effects on both healthcare facilities and patients. Either situation could lead to facility evacuation, as the utilities are significantly interdependent within healthcare facilities. (Access the ASPR TRACIE Healthcare Facility Evacuation/Sheltering Topic Collection for more information on this topic.) The resources in this Topic Collection include lessons learned from recent disasters, case studies, and toolkits designed to help healthcare planners prepare to respond to, continue functioning during, and recover from post-disaster utility failures.