A Communication Plan is essential for maintaining contact with staff and appropriate agencies during and after an emergency event. According to the
CFR, a Communication Plan must include all of the following:
- Names and contact information for staff, entities providing services under arrangement, residents' physicians, other laboratories and healthcare facilities, and volunteers.
- Contact information for Federal, State, tribal, regional, or local emergency preparedness staff, the State Licensing and Certification Agency, the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and other sources of assistance.
- Primary and alternate means for communicating with laboratory or healthcare facility staff as well as Federal, State, tribal, regional, or local emergency management agencies.
- A method for sharing information and medical documentation for residents under the laboratory or healthcare facility's care, as necessary, with other health care providers to maintain the continuity of care.
- A means of providing information about the general condition and location of residents under the facility's care as permitted under 45 CFR 164.510(b)(4).
- A means of providing information about the laboratory or healthcare facility's occupancy, needs, and its ability to provide assistance to the authority having jurisdiction or the Incident Command Center, or designee.
- A method for sharing information from the emergency plan that the facility has determined is appropriate with residents and their families or representatives.
As with the Emergency Plan, the Communication Plan must comply with Federal, State, and local laws and must be reviewed and updated at least annually.
