Preparing for the worst

Kevin Burton explains the importance of disaster recovery, business continuity and security to fully understand risk.

“Getting in front of security as it relates to business continuity and disaster recovery is indeed an emerging best practice”
-Kevin Burton

Hospital, urgent care and outpatient facilities still face the challenge of delivering care during a disaster or mass causality event. And as H1N1 and healthcare reform in the US becomes a stress point for radical American views on revolution and revolt, it is important to consider that these facilities may be at higher risk than ever from a lone attacker or homegrown terror.

To say that the rhetoric around healthcare and H1N1 has reached a fever pitch in North America, and in some cases abroad, would be an understatement. A month ago, when I made the statement that H1N1 was less dangerous than this 'crazy conspiracy' around eugenics in North America, I personally received multiple threats to my personal security.

We are a disaster recovery and business continuity firm with employees who have deep intelligence and military backgrounds.  However, I've never been under such close guard since those death threats occurred. My personal experience as an executive who is working to help calm the fears of individuals regarding their care in the face of H1N1 is that doing so, in some cases, is to put your life at risk.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for hospitals, urgent care and outpatient facilities to consider the risk their employees face and the potential for violence and civil unrest in their places of business as part of their overall business continuity and disaster recovery stance given the times.

According to a recent poll published by CS Mott Children's Hospital, only forty percent of US parents plan on giving their children the H1N1 flu shot. While the study suggests that parents simply don't believe that the virus is deadly, despite the fact that the virus has killed 40 children in the US since April. The question not asked in the survey, but hinted at largely in non-mainstream media and on the internet is that radicalized views of what the Swine Flu is, what the shots are, and how both the US and other governments are using these shots as 'kill shots' is not being widely reported.

To be clear, this is no small problem for first responders and caregivers who might find themselves between a fully agitated and perhaps dangerous individual and the need to provide care to a minor. While most hospitals have security, many are simply unprepared for the type of potentials we are seeing now in an anti-government, anti-federalism movement, practically the US.

The recent hanging of a census worker in Kentucky last month is a clear signal that there are some who are willing to kill to keep away from government (or caregiver) assistance.  While they only represent a small portion of your community or patient base may harbor these destructive tendencies, getting in front of security as it relates to business continuity and disaster recovery is indeed an emerging best practice and hospitals would be well advised to incorporate a fusion approach to their business continuity and disaster recovery planning as soon as possible.

A fusion approach includes health and safety, disaster recovery, business continuity and security to assure that your hospital or organization has an integrated view of the risk they are facing and an integrated plan for militating against that risk.

Like government fusion centers, this approach acts as a force multiplier in budget efficiency, insights and operational gains. Consider it a crash team for your risk mitigation efforts. Rather than having all of the specialists in different rooms, you simply bring everyone in on the risk mitigation project so that multiple tests, multiple scenarios, and multiple plans of action are replaced with singular clarity and a one time cost where once there were many.

Organizations using this approach are safer, more prepared and ready for disasters, security breaches and the unforeseen than those who continue to operate in silos. Given the current climate, administrators and executives would be wise to consider how fusing these risk management systems can lower the strain on their budget and increase their readiness.

Kevin D. Burton is CEO of Burton Asset Management, Inc. Mr. Burton has a broad range of experience and has helped clients address many issues to increase their IT process efficiencies or to address business process needs, staff and governance issues, and business-to-IT communication.