La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-5675

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-5675 - Emergency Preparedness

A. The BHS provider shall have written disaster and emergency preparedness plans which are based on a risk assessment using an all hazards approach for both internal and external occurrences, developed and approved by the governing body and updated annually:

1. to maintain continuity of the providers operations in preparation for, during and after an emergency or disaster;

2. to manage the consequences of all disasters or emergencies that disrupt the providers ability to render care and treatment, or threaten the lives or safety of the clients; and

3. that are prepared in coordination with the providers local and/or parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) and include provisions for persons with disabilities.

B. The BHS provider shall develop and implement policies and procedures based on the emergency plan, risk assessment and communication plan which shall be reviewed and updated at least annually. Such policies shall include a system to track on duty staff and sheltered clients, if any, during the disaster or emergency.

1. - 4. Repealed.

C. The BHS provider shall develop and maintain a disaster and emergency preparedness plan that complies with both federal and state laws. Client care shall be well-coordinated within the BHS provider, across health care providers and with state and local public health departments and emergency systems.

1. - 6. Repealed.

D. The BHS provider shall develop and maintain training and testing programs, including initial training in policies and procedures and demonstrate knowledge of disaster and emergency procedures. Such training shall be provided at least annually.

1. - 3. Repealed.

E. Additional Requirements. The residential facility or outpatient clinic shall:

1. post floor plans with diagrams giving clear directions on how to exit the building safely and in a timely manner at all times;

2. post emergency numbers by all telephones;

3. have a separate floor plan or diagram with designated safe zones or sheltering areas for non-fire emergencies;

4. train its employees in emergency or disaster preparedness. Training shall include orientation, ongoing training and participation in planned drills for each employee and on each shift; and

5. ensure that emergency equipment and supplies are:

a. immediately available for use during emergency situations;

b. appropriate for the BHS providers client population;

c. maintained by appropriate personnel; and

d. are specified by the medical staff and approved by the governing body for treatment of all age groups serviced by the BHS provider.

6. upon request by the department, submit a copy of its emergency preparedness plan for review; and

7. upon request by the department, submit a written summary attesting how the emergency plan was followed and executed. The summary shall contain, at a minimum:

a. pertinent plan provisions and how the plan was followed and executed;

b. plan provisions that were not followed;

c. reasons and mitigating circumstances for failure to follow and execute certain plan provisions;

d. contingency arrangements made for those plan provisions not followed; and

e. a list of all injuries and deaths of clients that occurred during execution of the plan, evacuation or temporary relocation including the date, time, causes and circumstances of the injuries and deaths.

F. The residential BHS providers disaster and emergency preparedness plans shall include, at a minimum:

1. in the event of a disaster or an emergency, an assessment of all clients to determine the clients:

a. who continue to require services and should remain in the care of the provider; or

b. who may be discharged to receive services from another provider;

2. the determination as to when the provider will shelter in place and when the provider will evacuate for a disaster or emergency and the conditions that guide these determinations in accordance with local or parish OHSEP;

3. provisions for when the provider shelters-in-place that include:

a. the decision to take this action is made after reviewing all available and required information on the emergency/disaster, the provider, the providers surroundings, and consultation with the local or parish OHSEP;

b. provisions for seven days of necessary supplies to be provided by the provider prior to the emergency, including drinking water or fluids and non-perishable food; and

c. the delivery of essential services to each client;

4. provisions for when the provider evacuates with clients:

a. the delivery of essential provisions and services to each client, whether the client is in a shelter or other location;

b. the providers method of notifying the clients family or caregiver, including:

i. the date and approximate time that the provider or client is evacuating;

ii. the place or location to which the client(s) is evacuating which includes the name, address and telephone number; and

iii. a telephone number that the family or responsible representative may call for information regarding the clients evacuation;

c. provisions for ensuring that supplies, medications, clothing and a copy of the treatment plan are sent with the client, if the client is evacuated;

d. the procedure or methods that will be used to ensure that identification accompanies the client. The identification shall include the following information:

i. current and active diagnosis; ii. all medication, including dosage and times administered;

iii. allergies;

iv. special dietary needs or restrictions; and

v. legal representative, if applicable, including contact information;

e. transportation or arrangements for transportation for an evacuation that is adequate for the current census;

5. provisions for staff to maintain continuity of care during an emergency; and

6. staff distribution and assignment of responsibilities and functions during an emergency.

G. The outpatient clinics disaster and emergency preparedness plan shall include, at a minimum:

1. in the event of an emergency or disaster, an assessment of all clients to determine the clients:

a. who continue to require services; or

b. who may be discharged to receive services from another provider;

2. a plan for each client to continue to receive needed services during a disaster or emergency either by the provider or referral to another program; and

3. measures to be taken to locate clients after an emergency or disaster and determine the need for continued services and/or referral to other programs.

H. The provider shall:

1. follow and execute its disaster and emergency preparedness plan in the event of the occurrence of a declared disaster or other emergency;

2. if the state, parish or local OHSEP orders a mandatory evacuation of the parish or the area in which the agency is serving, ensure that all clients are evacuated according to the providers disaster and emergency preparedness plan;

3. review and update its disaster and emergency preparedness plan at least once a year;

4. cooperate with the department and with the local or parish OHSEP in the event of an emergency or disaster and provide information as requested;

5. monitor weather warnings and watches as well as evacuation orders from local and state emergency preparedness officials;

6. upon request by the department, submit a copy of its emergency preparedness plan for review; and

7. upon request by the department, submit a written summary attesting how the emergency plan was followed and executed. The summary shall contain, at a minimum:

a. pertinent plan provisions and how the plan was followed and executed;

b. plan provisions that were not followed;

c. reasons and mitigating circumstances for failure to follow and execute certain plan provisions;

d. contingency arrangements made for those plan provisions not followed; and

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-5675

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 411710 (9/1/2015), Amended by the Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 431385 (7/1/2017).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and R.S. 40:2151-2161.