Is your SDS program ready for Dec. 31?
Is your SDS program ready for Dec. 31?
Experts offer tips for Y2K-contingency planning
What’s the most important step in contingency planning for year 2000 (Y2K) problems? Discuss scheduling, advises Steven Wexler, MS, chief VA biomedical engineer for the Veteran’s Health Administration of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) in Washington, DC.
"We’re recommending to our people that any elective surgeries be postponed until you’re sure the OR is functioning properly," Wexler says.
Don’t schedule surgeries on that week
A Y2K expert at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta also recommends a conservative approach. "If I were king for a day, I’d make sure — absolutely certain — that everything in the OR has passed the litmus test, been checked out, and suggest surgeries not be started until a week after," says Dwain Shaw, director of information services and the year 2000 project director for the Medical College.
"We think we’re in great shape, but we don’t want surprises," Shaw emphasizes. "I would not tempt fate by having any type of surgery scheduled the first day after everyone is back."
In addition, Wexler recommends that staff report to the facility on Jan. 1, even if they normally are off. Operate devices and utilities to ensure they’re working properly, including lights and ventilation, he suggests. "If they’re not working, look at your contingency plans and ask, What is my backup?’" he says. (See excerpt of Execution Phase Timeline, p. 58.)
Consider contracting with another program that is running, particularly if your program experiences a lot of failures, he suggests.
To develop a contingency plan, consider these steps from the VA:
Designate a business continuity planning work group and assign responsibilities. This group oversees and implements the contingency plan. "This can be a stand-alone committee or a subgroup of the safety committee, environment of care committee, or any other appropriate multidisciplinary group at the facility," Wexler says. "You don’t have to redesign the wheel. There are existing [quality assurance and] risk management committees." Identify your core businesses and complete templates. Obviously, the OR is a core business, Wexler says. "Although it may be the facility’s responsibility to take care of heating, etc., each [core business] must know what to do if these systems are compromised in their units," he explains.Not one-size-fits-all templates
The VA has developed preliminary templates for core businesses that address mission-critical systems, potential problems, contacts, preparations, and information on what to do if there is an interruption in operations. However, the templates don’t necessarily fit everyone, Wexler warns. "We don’t want people to take them out of the book and hang on the wall," he says.
Instead, fill out a blank template to meet your needs, he advises.
Determine risk and priority. While the VA plan suggests you determine the risk and priority of different core businesses facilitywide, SDS managers can adapt this step by determining risk and priority of devices and utilities within the OR. Generate a schedule for tracking critical events. Supplies are a critical area, Wexler emphasizes. However, the VA has changed its recommendation since the original OR template was developed, and it no longer recommends that its hospitals order two weeks of supplies."Stockpiling could create a shortage," Wexler explains. Instead, he suggests, have alternative supplies at ready disposal in the event a primary supplier can’t deliver on a regular schedule. (See VA recommended timetable, p. 59.)
Develop and distribute your contingency plan. The template is only part of the contingency plan, Wexler emphasizes. The VA’s contingency plan includes a purpose, policy, responsibilities of various positions, a timetable, distribution of the contingency plan, test of the contingency plan, critique of the test results, modification of the plan, and an explanation of the implementation. Train staff for responsibility. Consider these types of questions, he suggests: If the lights go out, who’s going to pick up flashlights and distribute them? If you have to evacuate, who’s going to manage the evacuation? If you lose critical devices, who’s going to make sure you have the proper materials? Test the plan. Run a drill that simulates an outage, Wexler advises. "One of our facilities simulated an electrical outage and simulated evacuation to another VA facility," he says.What about the electrical systems?
Testing your electrical system is critical, he notes. VA hospitals have been instructed to run on their own generator power for eight hours, he says. One facility determined that its pager system wasn’t hooked up to the emergency electrical system.
Typically, most parts of buildings aren’t supported by an emergency electrical system by design. For example, not every elevator is usually carried by the generator. "So the staff start to get an education," he says. "Now the staff know that only this elevator will be working and only half the lights."
Critique the test. At one facility, staff determined they had enough flashlights, but not enough batteries. "That’s why drilling, or testing, is important," Wexler says. "There’s a lot of things you do to prepare." Modify the plan. Build on your Joint Commission requirements for emergency preparedness plans, he advises. For example, make sure the critical items are plugged into the emergency power outlets, which typically are red, he suggests.Peer review your template, and post it on the wall, Wexler says. Your Y2K-contingency planning is complete. (For more information on Y2K preparation, see Same-Day Surgery, March 1999, p. 29, October 1998, p. 131, and September 1998, p. 113.)
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