06/16/2022

ODH emergency preparedness and LSC call

Representatives from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) have restarted their quarterly emergency preparedness (EP) and life safety code (LSC) collaborative. This call focuses on proactive efforts to support post-acute care providers in LSC and EP planning. LeadingAge Ohio encourages members to identify staff members interested in joining this collaborative. Those individuals can reach out to Stephanie DeWees at sdewees@leadingageohio.org with additional questions about the meeting. 

LeadingAge Ohio asked ODH to discuss extreme heat preparedness and lessons learned from past outages. ODH identified the importance of emergency generator and HVAC maintenance/preparation in anticipation of an outage. Facilities should ensure new maintenance staff are familiar with what units are supported by the generator and discuss strategies with the clinical team based on the facility’s set-up. 

Residents do not need to be immediately evacuated if a power outage occurs.The facility should have a plan for how to respond, for example, moving vulnerable residents to areas where an emergency generator is located. However, residents should also be continually assessed for a need to transfer. ODH discussed available resources facilities can consider, such as swamp cooler rentals and portable AC units. Facilities should proactively identify available resources and have contracts in place to ensure immediate response and delivery, including how to contact the vendor after hours. On Monday June 13, the Ohio Department of Health sent out an EIDC alert reminding providers to ensure their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were functioning properly in preparation for the heat. Facilities should confirm which individuals are receiving these EIDC bulletins to ensure timely response and discussion amongst the leadership team.

The new ODH life safety code preventative maintenance manual was also discussed during the call. LeadingAge Ohio encourages members to share this manual with the appropriate leaders in their organization. The manual includes information on the common K-tag citations and on page 24 there is a list of documents that will be requested by the life safety code inspector for recertification surveys.

Representatives from ODH will join LeadingAge Ohio on June 22, to provide the most up-to-date information on top Life Safety Code deficiencies and remedies, as well as other hot topics related to Life Safety. CMS Blanket waivers that are expiring will be covered along with common Emergency Preparedness plan trends. Updates and changes to the Preventative Maintenance Manual will also be discussed. Register now for this very timely webinar. Please contact Corey Markham at (614) 545-9015 or cmarkham@leadingageohio.org with any questions about the webinar registration.