Winter months bring weather that can rapidly create emergency and/or disaster related conditions. Disaster plans must take all types of hazards into account, including the possibility of severe weather caused by freeze conditions or winter storms. Health care facilities are required by regulation to maintain their physical plant and all equipment in operational condition. If your facility is required to maintain an emergency power source, it must be fully tested and functional in order to insure availability in the event of a power outage.

Licensing regulations require that all emergency/disaster-related occurrences, which threaten the welfare, safety, or health of patients, must be reported to the Department of Health Services (DHS), Licensing and Certification (L&C) Program.

In the event your facility is impacted by an emergency or disaster-related occurrence and an evacuation, transfer or discharge of patients' results as a response to the emergency, you must contact DHS L&C. Please follow these guidelines for reporting such occurrences:

During normal business hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) contact the local DHS L&C district office you customarily work with for your geographic location.

For after-hour reporting or if the local DHS L&C district office is non-operational due to the emergency/disaster, follow the process below:

For facilities outside Los Angeles County, notify the:
State Office of Emergency Services Warning Center at (916) 845-8911
Ask that they notify the DHS duty officer

For facilities in Los Angeles County notify the:
Los Angeles County Operator at (213) 974-1234
Ask that they notify the on-call Health Facilities Inspection Division Supervisor

Attached are some documents with winter weather health tips for vulnerable populations in relation to cold weather conditions.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Original Signed by Kathleen Billingsley, R.N.

Kathleen Billingsley, R.N.
Deputy Director

Attachments:
Winter Weather Health Tips
Extreme Cold Guide