Industry needs sense of urgency--not state of panic, expert notes.As Dr. Oren Harari started his keynote address keynote address n. An opening address, as at a political convention, that outlines the issues to be considered. Also called keynote speech. Noun 1. at the Assisted Living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. Federation Association's 2004 National Conference & EXPO in May, he made a few simple promises: No Boy Scout advice or psychobabble psy·cho·bab·ble n. Psychological jargon, especially that of psychotherapy. . No references to "vision" or "empowerment." Instead, for the next hour, the author of The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell Noun 1. Colin Powell - United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937) Colin luther Powell, Powell , delivered a rousing commentary and innovative perspective on leadership to some 300 people attending the early morning speech at the Hyatt Regency Hotel The Regency Hotel was a hotel in Denver, Colorado. Built in the 1960s to serve as a regional convention center, it was famous locally for its large gold dome and the luxury of the rooms within. in Chicago. "Leadership is a tricky and complicated topic," said Harari, a professor of management at the University of San Francisco • • [ who has also been published in several periodicals including the MIT Sloan Management Review MIT Sloan Management Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering all management disciplines, although its particular emphasis is on corporate strategy, leadership and management of technology and innovation. . According to Harari, good leadership is the key to handling consumers' rising expectations and demands in the long term care industry. Companies characterized by complacency, arrogance and greed will not survive. Harari espoused the operating creed of Intel: Only the paranoid survive. "Paranoid" does not mean panic. "What good leaderships need to show, first and foremost, is urgency--anticipate and act before the numbers are in place," Harari said. In Harari's book, Gen. Colin Powell is quoted as asking: Why should consumers follow you rather than the competitors? Powell's answer in the book: "You're a good leader when people follow only out of curiosity." The best and brightest in your company are apt to follow if the direction is fresh and controversial, Harari said. "If you do what will separate you from the pack, [If you ask yourself] what are you doing that is special," you will succeed, according to Harari. "Something special" means going beyond what the consumer defines as value, Harari said. Five things to do right now! TO PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when (HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191) Also known as the "Kennedy-Kassebaum Act," this U.S. law protects employees' health insurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs (Title I) and provides standards for patient health, ) placed additional requirements on long term care facilities, such as emergency management. A long term care emergency can be defined as anything from a fire or blackout to an Alzheimer's patient wandering away from the facility. Failure to protect residents in emergencies can result in lawsuits againts the facility or a loss of state funding. Fletcher MacGregor, senior vice president for Marsh Inc.'s Risk Consulting Practice in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , provided a few pointers in preparing for an emergency. Marsh Inc. is a division of Marsh and McLennan, a risk and insurance services firm. People are your first line of defense. Hire the right personnel and train them continually. As part of the hiring procedure, perform background checks on all employees, even part-time staff and volunteers. train staff to comply with the formal elopment prevention policy and tech them to integrate it into their work day. For example, regular resident counts can quickly determine if a patient is missing. Layers of security will protect your facility. Install layers of support such as cameras, alarms, electronic surveillance systems (such as bracelets with proximity readers), locked dementia units and electronic lockdown Lockdown A specified period when an employee of a public company is barred from selling - and occasionally buying - their company's stock. Notes: These types of equity transaction restrictions can be imposed by securities regulators or underwriting firms if a company has capabilities. Establish safe locations. in case the facility needs to be evacuated, patient holding and staging stations must be established. These stations must have proper levels of staffing and layers of security. Maintain tight controls over all patients. Safeguarding your records is another essential element in any emergency preparation. Bonnie P. Arons, director of operations for Associates in Risk Management in Passaic, N.J., makes these recommendations: Protect your records. If your facility keeps its records on paper in a chart rack, establish a safe location that you can move this rack to. It's important to integrate record moving into your record-evacaution plan because you may need to physically move this rack to where it will be protected from smoke, fire or water. If your records are electronic, residents should remain your dominant issue as records can always be recreated from an electronic back-up tape. Practice and review. Always test run the emergency plan. After the event occurs, perform a postmortem postmortem /post·mor·tem/ (post-mort´im) performed or occurring after death. post·mor·tem adj. Relating to or occurring during the period after death. n. See autopsy. . Review all events and the response. Ask yourself if you responded according to your policy. Was there a contingency that you didn't think of? Do you have to change the policy? BONUS IDEA Evaluate your plan. Does your response plan protect patients and avoid majors risks to the facility? Does your response plan include proper communication with employees, patients and the general public after the emergency? Has your plan been coordinated with local fire, law enforcement and emergency medical service organization? |
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