The Joint Commission, JCR Present 2012 Emergency Preparedness Conference

OAK Brook, Ill. — On May 22, 2011, St. John’s Regional Medical Center was devastated by an EF5 tornado when it tore through Joplin, Mo. Despite the odds, the hospital continued to provide care and save patients’ lives because its staff had successfully tested and implemented effective emergency preparedness and disaster management plans.

This spring, Dennis Manley, the director of quality and risk management at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., will be a featured presenter at The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources’ eighth annual emergency preparedness conference, *M + P + R2 = Resilience (*Mitigation + Preparedness + Response and Recovery) April 11-12, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel in Arlington, Va. Manley will discuss the impact of the damage on the hospital caused by the tornado, how it was managed and what lessons were learned in the process.

The 2012 Emergency Preparedness Conference will supply attendees with a portfolio of emergency management strategies using real life lessons taken from specific events, like the Joplin, Mo. tornado, and effective tools that can be implemented upon return to their organizations. Plenary sessions will also include presentations from George Mills, director of engineering at The Joint Commission, on the onsite follow up and post-event strategies were used during disasters like the tornado that hit St. John’s Regional Medical Center and Hurricane Katrina, and from Tommie Murray, chief quality officer at Vermont State Hospital, who will discuss what happened when Vermont State Hospital had to manage an evacuation without emergency crew assistance due to severe flooding from Hurricane Irene.

The focus of the 2012 conference is to examine how Joint Commission accreditation standards provide healthcare organizations with the framework needed to prepare for and continue care in the face of an emergency. The conference will also demonstrate how the four phases of emergency management – mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery – create resilient healthcare organizations, capable of coping with the stress and adversity of any disaster.

In addition, an emergency preparedness pre-conference will be offered April 10, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel in Arlington, Va. The morning session of the pre-conference will address the foundations of The Joint Commission’s emergency management standards. The afternoon session will enhance attendees’ knowledge of emergency management through evacuation, pandemic and active shooter/hostage scenarios.

For more details, visit http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars/.