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Protect Your Patients

Recommended Checklist and Advice for Patients

  • Stay informed on the evolving event by listening to local radio stations or watching local television stations
     
  • Maintain an updated list of all personal physicians for you and your family members, including office phone numbers and after-hours or emergency contact numbers 
     
  • Make decisions early about sheltering at home or locating appropriate shelter and medical services for family members who require special health care needs
     
  • Know your evacuation route and destination. Let loved ones know.

  • Have at least one week's worth of medicine on hand, especially prescriptions, as needed for each family member 
     
  • Charge cell phones ahead of the event
     
  • Create an emergency preparedness kit (see Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide)
     
  • In the event of an evacuation, take important family documents, such as insurance policies, mortgage papers, and physician contact information with you. 
     
  • Assistive Technology (AT) - be prepared to evacuate with all AT devices and components necessary for independent daily living in the face of an emergency
     
  • Avoid walking or driving through moving water
     
  • When returning to your home after a natural disaster, please proceed with caution. Your house may be unstable or have electrical hazards. 
     

Helpful Phone Numbers for Patients

  • American Red Cross – 1-800-RED-CROSS
     
  • 911 for emergencies
     
  • Know your local police phone number
     
  • Know your physician's phone number
Storm


Protect Your Practice

  • Some natural disasters will come unannounced, but for some like hurricanes and blizzards, practices should review written policies for addressing any kind of emergency before the impending weather event. 
     
  • Each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties is required, in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code or Title 35, Pa. C.S.A. Section 7503 (1), to prepare, maintain and keep current an emergency operations plan for the prevention and minimization of injury and damage caused by disaster, prompt and effective response to disaster and disaster emergency relief and recovery in consonance with the Commonwealth Emergency Operations Plan (CEOP).  Practices should be aware of emergency management plans in the county. Check with your local county government.
     
  • Use social media to keep patients informed and to offer advice. Templates are available through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
     
  • Know where your office gas, electricity, and water connections are in case you need to turn them off. 
     
  • Keep back-up generators or a storage plan for your refrigerating systems.
     
  • Protect your patient records accordingly.
     
  • Prepare your staff with employee contact lists and information sheets so you and your staff can communicate if an evacuation is necessary.
     

Additionally, the following websites will be useful:

tornado