Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - Jan/Feb 2021 - 30

Continued from page 27

Plan
The All-Hazards Approach is used when
planning to address potential disaster
needs. Anticipate the possible hazards for
your geographic area and realize there are
more hazards now than in the past. (See
sidebar.) With the COVID-19 pandemic
continuing, also consider the potential for
synchronous emergencies when discussing
preparedness plans. Consequently,
planning is more complicated, and a
healthcare facility may require more
than three or four days of food in their
emergency supply.
Prepare
What will you do if there is no electricity,
gas, water, deliveries, kitchen equipment,
or even no trained foodservice staff?
If there is no electric, a generator may
be an option, but consider these and
other questions: What is connected to
the generator in the kitchen? How long
will the fuel supply last? What if the
fuel source is shut off or the fuel line is
ruptured?
If you have gas, similar considerations
need to be explored. You may be able
to cook with gas, but the exhaust unit
over the cooking area is electric. Is there
adequate lighting to safely work in the
kitchen?
The supply chain is only as good as its
weakest link during emergencies. It may
no longer be sufficient to have just a
three-day emergency supply of food in
a nursing home or a four-day supply in
a hospital and have a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with vendors as
the backup to bring items immediately.
Vendors themselves can experience supply
chain issues with products and supplies
commonly used for emergencies, damage
to their building or trucks, inaccessible
roads, and staff shortages or furloughs.
28

EMERGENCY PLANNING
RESOURCES
*	Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA.gov
*	ASPR TRACIE - asprtracie.hhs.gov
(government preparedness information
gateway that provides access to resources to
improve preparedness and response)
*	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services - CMS.gov
*	Wisconsin Preparedness Toolkit - https://
www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/preparedness/
toolkits.htm
*	California Association of Health Facilities
Disaster Preparedness Program - https://
www.cahfdisasterprep.com/

With the pandemic, the supply chain in
the U.S. became an issue. When faced
with tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes,
or severe tropical storms, healthcare
staff soon discovered that nationwide
shortages of food put them in even more
disastrous situations. They scrambled
to change menus when items were not
available, dealt with double-digit price
increases for a number of items that were
available, and had significant numbers of
staff absent after testing positive or being
quarantined. Facility emergency teams
are taking a closer look at their needs
and how to be better prepared before
surveyors visit and cite the facility for a
lack of appropriate planning.
Some facilities are adding line items to
the facility budget for emergency supplies
of food, water, medical, and pharmacy
supplies instead of these items being part
of the food service or nursing budgets.
Some teams are looking at freeze-dried
and dehydrated foods, and water with
extended shelf life to save time and money
with emergency supplies.

NUTRITION & FOODSERV IC E EDGE | January-February 2021

Healthcare facilities need to have supplies
on the premises to be self-sufficient
for a longer time after an emergency.
Super Storm Sandy hit Long Island,
N.Y. and the East Coast in 2017 causing
a loss of power for 11 days-just one
of many examples. Think of this like
car insurance. Do you have the state
minimum required car insurance, or
do you have additional coverage to
provide protection when an accident
occurs? Most people have additional
insurance for peace of mind. Review
the specific regulations for your facility
type and geographic area. Coordinate
with the city, township, county, or state
Emergency Management Teams for local
recommendations. Evaluate the facility's
All-Hazards vulnerability analysis for
the specific number of days needed and
regulatory " at least " or " a minimum of "
specifications.
Having a thorough and consistent
inventory management system for your
facility's disaster meal plan is not just
recommended, it is absolutely crucial.
The last thing any director wants to cope
http://www.FEMA.gov http://asprtracie.hhs.gov http://www.CMS.gov http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/preparedness/ http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/preparedness/ http://www.cahfdisasterprep.com/ http://www.cahfdisasterprep.com/
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - Jan/Feb 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - Jan/Feb 2021
