Survey & Certification - Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness for Every Emergency

Mission

Enable Federal, State, Tribal, Regional, and local governmental agencies, and health care providers to respond to every emergency in a timely, collaborative, organized, and effective manner.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey and Certification Group (SCG) has developed this site to provide useful information to CMS Central and Regional Offices, State Survey Agencies (SAs), their State, Tribal, Regional, and local emergency management partners, and health care providers, for developing effective and robust emergency plans and responses.  This Web site provides information and tools, utilizing an “all hazards” approach for disruptive events such as:

  • Pandemic flu (e.g., H1N1 influenza virus)
  • Hurricanes
  • Tornados
  • Fires
  • Earthquakes
  • Power outages
  • Chemical spills
  • Nuclear or biological terrorist attack
  • Etc.

This Web site provides “one-stop shopping” to obtain both mandated and voluntary emergency preparedness information and tools.  The Web site will be updated regularly to provide helpful guidance regarding issues such as:

  • Clarifying the roles, responsibilities and actions of CMS Central and Regional Survey & Certification (S&C) Offices.
  • Clarifying the roles, responsibilities, and actions of SAs.
  • Effective emergency planning across all health care provider types to ensure the well-being of vulnerable populations – whether in long-term care, acute care, or community-based facilities -- during a disruptive event.

CMS meets regularly with the S&C Emergency Preparedness Stakeholder Communication Forum, which includes representatives from State Survey Agencies, provider associations, accreditation organizations, resident and patient advocate associations, safety and quality organizations, and other HHS operating divisions.  The Stakeholder Communication Forum assists CMS to gather information and develop helpful tools and resources to establish an improved, collaborative, and coordinated health care system emergency plan.

Click on the link in the Downloads Section below, to access the current S&C Emergency Preparedness Stakeholder Communication Forum Directory.

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