The crisis plan. Nearly every hospital has one; not all are ready to follow it

It is not enough that a healthcare facility have a "crisis plan" somewhere in its file cabinets. Indeed, unless the facility's executives have made thorough preparations for putting it into action, their plan could make a crisis even worse. Shortcomings commonly found in crisis plans include: Failing to make sure that the people designated to implement the plan are actually present when a crisis occurs Having a crisis team that is too large and unwieldy to be effective in a real crisis Forgetting that, while the crisis team acts, others must keep normal operations running Failing to designate a single, trained spokesperson to deal with the media Being unprepared for a long siege-the crisis that goes on for hours, days, or even weeks Forgetting during a crisis to inform, not only the general public, but also one's own staff, patients, and others Failing to have an understanding with staff and their unions that, in a crisis, some persons may be expected to perform duties other than their normal ones