Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “Disaster Planning for Urology Practices” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in September 2020.

How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “Disaster Planning for Urology Practices” September 2020. Accessed Aug 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/disaster-planning-for-urology-practices/

Summary:

GRU Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses his personal experience with disasters, and the lessons he has learned from them. While most urology practices do not have a written disaster plan, disruptive disasters are far more frequent than most urologists realize. Dr. Baum shares what happened to his practice when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Emphasizing that there are many different types of disasters that can hit anywhere at any time, he suggests writing a contingency plan that includes instructions for both the emergency operation mode and the recovery, discusses the process of notifying patients, staff, and vendors, and covers the importance of transferring expensive medical equipment and medications to safer locations. Dr. Baum also details a basic disaster supply kit and a recovery box. 

For a more detailed look at disaster planning for your practice, Dr. Baum has published a book on this topic.

For more commentary from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.