MHPC Hosts CMS Emergency Preparedness Workshops Throughout Region

Beginning in May 2017, the team at the Metrolina Healthcare Preparedness Coalition began hosting and teaching a series of workshop aimed at helping better prepare the 17 provider types that will be affected by the upcoming CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule. Since starting in May, ten workshops have been held in the Metrolina Region with over 100 participants attending. Regional partners that have participated in the CMS Workshops include Stanly County Emergency Management, Burke County Emergency Management, Lincoln County Emergency Management, Lincoln County EMS, Lincoln County Public Health, Anson County Emergency Management and EMS, Anson County Public Health, Iredell County Emergency Management, and Iredell County Public Health.

The workshops last two hours with the first hour focusing on what a healthcare coalition is and how it can better serve the affected provider types, what the new CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, and what steps providers need to take in order to be compliant with the new rule. The second hour of the workshop focuses on exercises, in particular table top exercises. Participants walk away from the workshop knowing what a tabletop exercise is, how to create one, and how to perform one within their facility or organization. In addition, participants come away with tons of great materials to take back to their facilities to better prepare them for the rule implementation on November 15th, 2017.

There are currently two workshops still available for the affect provider types to attend; October 26th at Sharon Towers in Charlotte, NC and November 6th at the Iredell County Department of Health in Statesville, NC.

For more information regarding the CMS Workshops, please reach out to Hannah Gompers at hannah.gompers@carolinas.org or KC Bernesser at kariena.bernesser@carolinas.org.