It is important to prepare a health care facility located near the coast in the event of a hurricane, but all facilities need to develop some type of plan in the event of extended power outage, disruption in service or an increase in the number of residents. Developing a plan will help you to maintain key services during a disaster for your patients or residents. The resources provided below are links to state, federal and other resources that can assist in emergency planning for health care facilities.

The SC DHEC Disaster Preparedness for Health Care Facilities webpage contains many valuable documents and links to assist in planning for a licensed health care facility. There are several documents to help you assess the risks your facility may face to include a list of facilities that are at risk for hurricanes, in an evacuation zone, and other resources. An emergency plan development guide and template (pdf) for extended care facilities has been made available that contains a sample plan and checklist. An evacuation plan component checklist required for licensure, as well as criteria for evacuation decision-making in nursing homes is also provided.