Megan Brooks  |  May 22, 2013

In the wake of the massive tornado that decimated Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20, the Joint Commission today reiterated emergency management standards and the actions required of all Joint Commission–accredited healthcare organizations to prepare for an event ranging from natural disasters to a terrorist attack.

During a telephone briefing, George Mills, director, Department of Engineering, Division of Healthcare Improvement for the Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, said, “The Joint Commission has required disaster planning for more than 30 years, and the standards provide a framework for comprehensive emergency management.”

The standards help organizations prepare for and respond to a tragedy such as the Oklahoma tornado, the Boston Marathon bombing, and Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc on the northeast in October 2012 and shut down several New York City hospitals…

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