How to keep operations afloat during a storm: An FSD's account
By Leisa Bryant on Aug. 03, 2018Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of Texas last year, bringing a deluge of rain and damaging floods that left 30,000 people temporarily homeless and tens of thousands without power. At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, more than a third of our 20,000 staff members had to evacuate or were personally affected in some way by the storm. During this trying time, our foodservice department was critical to feeding and comforting more than 1,300 patients, staff, clinicians and visitors.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there’s a 75% chance this year’s hurricane season will be in the normal or above normal range, which means many healthcare facilities are at risk and should be prepared for potentially destructive storms. Even outside hurricane zones, healthcare foodservice departments can benefit from what we learned about keeping patients, staff and even the community fed during a crisis.
Based on our experience, here are four things foodservice directors should keep in mind to successfully ride out any storm.
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1. Prepare, prepare, prepare
Having a “playbook” was crucial for my team during Harvey. A playbook is a manual or guide of how your team will respond during a disaster. It helps ensure you don’t forget anything important during the heat of the moment. For instance, the playbook reminded us to make sure our food and water were delivered early and that we were engaged with our partners and our vendors. It also helped us evaluate supplies on hand, so we could use our stocks efficiently and make way for incoming disaster delivery. And, following the playbook, we then checked other resources to make sure we had flashlights and that all of our plugs and emergency plugs were working. But having a playbook on the shelf isn’t enough. You must practice your response. Staff should be fully trained in disaster preparedness and logistics, and should practice until you feel confident that your staff is ready for the real emergency whenever it hits.
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2. Instill confidence
In a time of crisis, people need a leader. Your staff will look to you for guidance, support and instruction, so it is important to have a “presence.” This means you should be physically present when possible and exude confidence in your abilities. And if you can’t be there physically, put someone in charge that you trust and let them know that you trust them. For example, we had a sous chef who had been hired only a month before the disaster, but I told him, “Right now, you’re commander-in-chief and you have to feed 1,300 people, so let’s take stock of what we have, let’s make sure that our supplies will last for a few days, and do your due diligence. You are the one in charge. You are my eyes and ears until I get there.” And he was wonderful. That is why it is so important to rely on your staff, to give them the support and empowerment to make decisions in your absence. Let them know that you trust them and support them in the decisions that they make, and they will make you proud.
Photo courtesy of Leisa Bryant
3. Take care of your staff
In the days leading up to the storm, one of the steps we had to take was to look at our staffing plan. We typically have a ride-out team, and we have a recovery team to ensure business continuity. We had to plan where the staff would eat, sleep and shower so there was no question in the midst of the storm. We also made sure that our ride-out team had a chance to take care of their families and homes first if they needed to. When you take care of your staff and make them a priority, they will be able to provide quality service to the patients.
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4. Connect with partners in the community
Some of your closest allies during a time of need will be partners from within the community. Before and during a disaster, reach out to these partners to discuss ways to help one another. Local businesses and vendors are likely very willing to help out and can provide needed resources. For instance, our facility received extra food supplies from local restaurants, and our vending machine companies gave us permission to break the machines to retrieve the food inside. But these partnerships go beyond the benefits of receiving food and water. They provide a sense of community and much needed support as well. I received so much support from my colleagues within the Association for Healthcare Foodservice and the self-operated foodservice community around the country. That went a long way for me and really helped me stay strong for my staff.
Most facilities will already have some kind of plan in place in the event of a natural disaster or other crisis event. But just having a plan is not enough. Foodservice directors must prepare their teams, show leadership, take care of their staff and connect with their partners. These priorities were key to our strong response during Hurricane Harvey, and I know they can help others in the industry who will inevitably face adversity in the future.
Leisa Bryant is the Director of Food and Nutrition Services for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a member of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice.
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