You can't be overprepared: Disaster planning

If you think calamity happens only to other practices, think again. Experts say having a plan to cope in the aftermath of physical destruction is good business. Having one to safeguard electronic data is the law.

By Tyler Chin, AMNews staff. June 12, 2006.

When experts advise physicians to have a detailed disaster plan in place -- so detailed it may seem ridiculous -- they point to examples such as Neil F. Notaroberto, MD.

The solo ophthalmologist thought he had a plan to withstand the worst calamity he could conceive: a fire. Then Hurricane Katrina came.

Fortunately for Dr. Notaroberto, his practice in Slidell, La., received relatively minor physical damage. But the hurricane did punch holes in what the physician thought was meticulous disaster planning. Dr. Notaroberto had extensively protected the practice's physical aspects: having off-site computer data backup, keeping old computer equipment in case current systems were destroyed, even keeping tabs of office space available for a quick move.

But he missed the human side. Employees fled in advance of the hurricane and had no way to contact each other. Nor were there arrangements for temporary housing. Dr. Notaroberto also didn't have his plan available for employees to consult. It was all in his head.

Still, Dr. Notaroberto was able to open his three offices about 21 days after the hurricane hit, becoming what he says was the first area ophthalmologist to reopen. He figures if his disaster plan had been complete, he could have re-opened a week earlier, when electric and telephone service had been restored.

"One thing I learned: You can never be overprepared for a disaster of any magnitude," Dr. Notaroberto said.