Disaster Recovery Plan, Term Paper Example

Introduction

Organizations at present face a great challenge of responding to unprecedented situations that may occur because of natural disasters and other tragedies that often occur without any signs. Due to the fact that most organizations today operate under the constructive and directive conditions by which computer technology in almost every operation they engage with. It is believed that with such system embedded within the overall operations of the organization, the company would be able to establish a distinct impact on how they are able to serve the members of the society that they ought to dedicate their works for.

Among the most distinct organizations that are in need of support when it comes to protecting their data are the healthcare facilities situated within communities that are supposed to provide healthcare assistance to the members of remote communities that are situated apart from central healthcare facilities. For this particular project, the dedication of the Disaster Recovery Plan to be created shall be for the benefit of several local healthcare facilities in specific community healthcare units.

Background of the Organization

Local healthcare facilities or also noted as community health centers are dedicated to providing healthcare support for local members of the community. Most often than not, the individuals who go to these facilities are the ones who may have less resource dedicated to attaining healthcare services from private sectors. Due to the function that these local health centers serve, a larger population of individuals in the community is served better for free.

Objectives

Besides simply providing free option of healthcare services for the people, local health centers also serve as data keepers. Most of the individuals who come to these facilities for assistance have sole records; this means that because they have not much of an access to other private healthcare services, the record they hold may be kept only by these facilities and may not be available to other healthcare organizations. In case they incur emergencies, such data kept by the organization would help well in improving the way by which they are treated medically for immediate recovery.

Mission

The primary mission of the organization is to create a more positive environment where people from local communities could get vital healthcare help that they need to survive. It could be observed that such mission entails to establish a more distinct procedure by which individuals [who are less fortunate than others] still get the healthcare provisions they deserve to receive in order to survive life.

Purpose of the Organization

Serving the needs of the less fortunate; local health centers serve a great role in keeping the healthcare status of every nation at bay. With the many health conditions that the ones living within the line of poverty have to deal with, it is most often than not impossible to get help from private sectors. The subsidiary budget given to support health centers are then put into good use as they serve to be the hope for those who may not have so much to go by with their everyday needs [all the more care for their healthcare needs].

Structure of the Organization

Since healthcare centers are most often than not funded and operated under government direction, it is evident that the primary command comes from the national sector of authority. Each healthcare center is noted to have its own leader, an individual serving as the dean of healthcare services. Under the dean are the different department heads, usually one for records keeping and another for actual medical procedures taken into account when serving the members of the community.

Disaster Recovery Plan Policy

The term ‘disaster’ specifically denotes the occurrence of something that cannot be avoided such as earthquakes, floods, typhoon and other natural tragedies occurring in certain communities around the globe. When a community is affected dreadfully, it is assumed that local facilities like health centers may be included with other community structures that are to be affected badly by the situation. In cases like this, it is important that a disaster recovery plan be established.

Disaster Declaration

The declaration of disaster shall be dependent on either one or more of these situations affecting the integrity of the system of the health centers to provide service to the community:

1. A natural tragedy occurs and a major part of the facility is affected [destroyed] hence making the entire facility incapable of serving the needs of the people for a certain span of time.
2. Flood happens and the records are shut down due to power interruption and facility breakage
3. At least 40% of the facility is unusable due to damage brought about by the disaster
4. Assessment of Security

During instances like this, it is important that the security of the supplies, the appliances and the materials used in the health centers be secured immediately [protecting them from possible community looting]. Records kept in a computer system should be specifically protected as they hold important and confidential information about the patients served in the said centers.

Potential Disaster Scenarios and Resolutions

Here are some of the possible scenarios that may occur:

1. Looting-given that the communities are also devastated and the health centers may be the only source of medication for sick individuals, looting [or robbing the facility] may be possible.
   • To resolve the issue in case it does happen, it is important that instead of waiting for the looting to occur, the members of the health center already set up a tent for serving the people who might be in need of medical assistance.
2. Destruction and robbery of other appliances used in the centers [like computers]
   • In cases like this, the data stored in the said gadgets are more important than that of the gadgets themselves. Hence, it is suggested that such records be kept in a remote hard disk that is kept away from the main quarters. If not, a remote directory such as a national EHR [Electronic Health Record] be kept in centralized headquarters for the sake of data recording and referencing systems] could be established to be the main redirection destination of the data kept with the centers’ main servers.
3. Disaster Recovery Procedures

First to note is the fact that healthcare facilities such as health centers are expected to be ready when it comes to helping the entire community recover. Hence, instead of simply thinking of how their records are kept safe and how their facilities could be reestablished again, health center personnel ought to know that they need to immediately setup a healthcare support operation for those who may need medical assistance. Setting up a medical tend is necessary hence letting the organization continue its function amidst the occurrence of disasters. While the operations continue towards serving the healthcare needs of the public, it is also essential that the data recovery systems and the reestablishment of the entire facility be given attention to in a gradual manner.

Incident Response Team charter

Executive summary

For the incident response team approach, health centers are expected to stand strong; its personnel need to be ready at all times especially in handling emergency cases where their role take a vital stand in helping the people recover from the situation.

Mission statement

To help the communities reestablish their lives through proper healthcare assistance. During tragedies, it is most common that the victims become unhealthy or unstable when it comes to their health status. Providing them medical aid and medical attention is then an essential part to immediate community recovery.

Data records of the members of the community would also best help rescue teams who might be looking for valid information that could help them in their search procedures.

Incident declaration

Reports of incidents should be kept intact. At the point of establishing a medical tent, writing up the names of those who come for assistance from the health centers is necessary. Not only will this recording system provide a better note on the health status of the patient, it would also help community officers as they tend to find the individuals who were badly hit by the disaster.

Organizational structure

The dean of healthcare services remains to be the highest in command; however, in cases like this, it is expected that the government would send in support personnel to help out with the operations. Hence, in such instances, everyone still responds to the authority of the dean while the dean follows the commands of the healthcare supervisors that might be sent in from other government healthcare agencies.

Roles and responsibilities

Dean of healthcare services: must be able to see that the operations are directed towards the individuals who are in most need of the services that the center offers.

Specialists: provide free healthcare services especially in special cases where their expertise is recommended.

Record Keepers: should be able to take note of the name and other information of each patient served within the community. If electronic record keeping gadgets are not available, then written records would be the best alternative to the process.

Nurses: Help out in easing the most common issues that the community members need to deal with which might not necessarily need the attention of medical specialists.

Information flow and methods of communication

Communication shall be handled through the establishment of passing on of duty between members who are assigned within a specific center. The record keepers do not only put into writing the issues about patients, they also ought to write down incidents and the names of the medical practitioners who are capable to handling the situations more successfully.

Methods and services provided by the IRT

1. 1. Immediate healthcare relief to afflicted members of the community
   2. Records keeping operations that could further help in establishing facts about the effects of the disaster in the community.
   3. Establishing faster recovery procedures for the community to embrace.

Authority and reporting procedures

Record keepers play a great role in making the operations continue amidst the chaos that might be occurring in the community; while nurses on the other hand play a key role in making sure that everyone who needs assistance are given the attention that they deserve.

Conclusion

Due to the fact that the organization considered in this report and documentation is expected to function amidst disasters and community tragedies, it is essential that the continuity plan entail to help the organizers become alert and enthusiastic enough to provide the public with the services they need during the most trying times the communities have to deal with. The operation of a national EHR or electronic health records would help so much in making sure that every individual in the communities affected by the tragedies are practically served with their health status in focus. Through this approach, community recovery would be expected to engage in faster operations.

References:

Abram, Bill (14 June 2012). “5 Tips to Build an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan”. Small Business Computing.

Wold, Geoffrey H. (1997). “Disaster Recovery Planning Process”. Adapted from Volume 5 #1. Disaster Recovery World.

Disaster Recovery Institute International. Course BCLE 2000. Participant Guide: Professional Practice 6. Page 17. 2012.