Act Now: Strengthen Preparedness Before Your Facility’s Next Emergency  

Emergency preparedness is more than a regulatory requirement, it is essential to protecting residents, supporting staff, maintaining continuity of care and reducing organizational risk during a crisis. CMS requires every nursing home to maintain a comprehensive emergency preparedness program that includes risk assessments, emergency plans, communication strategies, staff training and testing exercises. Gaps in preparedness can lead to survey citations, enforcement actions, operational disruptions and unnecessary risks to residents and staff. 

Don’t wait for the next hurricane season, severe weather event, or survey to uncover weaknesses in your plan. Health Quality Innovators (HQI), the CMS-designated Quality Innovation Network–Quality Improvement Organization for North Carolina, provides free expert assistance to help nursing homes strengthen emergency preparedness, improve staff readiness, evaluate emergency plans and enhance their ability to respond confidently during a crisis. 

In addition to emergency preparedness support, participating facilities gain access to a broad range of quality improvement resources, technical assistance and subject matter expertise designed to support regulatory compliance, resident safety, quality outcomes and workforce resilience. 

Enrollment Closes in August, Act Now! Take advantage of this no-cost opportunity before enrollment ends. Complete and submit a brief Provider Service Agreement today to access expert guidance, practical tools, and proven strategies that can help your facility strengthen preparedness, reduce risk, and safeguard residents when emergencies occur. 

Visit HQI’s website or contact Allison Spangler at aspangler@hqi.solutions for more information.