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DEALING WITH DISASTER would have earned in absence of the disaster, and the salaries of key personnel. Private practice physicians should also have an alternative vendor arrangement in case a current supplier is afected by a disaster. Ideally, the principal supplier and alternate supplier will be in diferent geographical locations. Vendors should be required to have their own business continuity plans. Te continuity plan, Kruger says, should outline timeframes for resuming operations as well as provide alternatives in the event that the vendor is unable to provide service. Step 2: Create a Critical Communication Plan It is important to pre-determine how communication���both internal and external���will be handled in the event of a disaster. During a business interruption, having current telephone numbers, email addresses and emergency contact information for employees, patients, suppliers and other key contacts is critical. Te contact information should be available in digital and hard copy format both on the business premises and of. ���Te business needs to be able to contact their employees to let them know the status of their business operations, fnd out their safety, their whereabouts, where and if they should report and what to do about the status of the ofce,��� Moraton says. ���Patients, suppliers, vendors and key contacts also will need to be informed about the status of the ofce.��� Depending on which modes of communication are available during the disaster, parties can be given updates through direct calls, recorded messages on a designated telephone number, texts, emails, Twitter, Facebook or announcements on the practice website. If there are multiple partners in the practice, it is imperative that each partner be familiar with the emergency preparedness plan and have access to digital copies of the plan in case the ofce is not accessible. ���In this digital age, backing up data is mission critical,��� Kruger says. ���I emphasize not only computer backups, but also any smartphones, tablets and other devices where data is stored. I recommend at least two forms of backup: a local copy that is easily accessible and an ofsite copy. Te latter should be an automated process and located somewhere outside of the immediate geographic location, at least 500 miles away.��� Most EHR vendors store patient records of-site and in multiple geographic locations to protect data against a variety of catastrophic events. Practices that use paper documentation can store backups of their fles in of-site locations. A quick Google search for ���Paper Medical Records Storage��� provides several vendors who ofer of-site storage with records readily accessible through email or online databases. Make sure your storage facility���whether paperor EHR-based���is HIPAA compliant. Disaster preparedness plans should be reviewed at least once a year. Personnel changes, needs change and technology changes. Te last thing you want is to experience a disaster and discover that most of the items in your plan are outdated and no longer relevant. Your insurance provider may be able to assist your practice in the creation of a comprehensive disaster plan. Te Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety ofers an ���Open for Business��� property protection and recovery planning toolkit to help private practitioners create a disaster plan. Te toolkit includes planning worksheets, business continuity and disaster recovery tips, and risk-specifc property protection information. It is available at http://disastersafety.org/ open-for-business. ME Step 3: Back Up Patient Records In the wake of a disaster, it is crucial that data stored on a practice���s network system can be retrieved. To this end, computer data should be backed up on a daily basis and be remotely hosted. Whether it���s patient-based information, loyalty program documentation, accounts receivable or accounts payable, this data is vital to a business��� continued operation. 40 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 | MedEsthetics Chelan David is a Kansas City-based freelance writer. Contact him at chdavid10@hotmail.com. �� THINKSTOCK/INGRAM PUBLISHING Computer data should be backed up on a daily basis and be remotely hosted.