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Communication and Crisis

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Submitted By mayakurdi
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Communication and Crisis
HCS/320
02/02/2015

Communication and Crisis In today’s health care crisis, essential communication is the key to establishing a solution for every healthcare organization. As a director of a regional emergency management office, I received official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated. When something comes up, that is very urgent and very important such as a life-threatening biological agent; the organization is facing an event defined as a health crisis. According to Issues and Crisis Communications Management : “Crisis - Any immediate situation that causes deviation from regular operating practices and has the ability to impact your organization's corporate reputation or value” . Health care crisis used to be handled in the past by a limited communication system such as television and radio. Those days, the newer communication technologies such as internet and media are more involved to inform the public about the latest news minute by minute. To control the crisis, the organization has a crisis plan to help hold the situation and contain the spread of the crisis. A well-conceived crisis communication plan will guide our emergency management office and its team from different departments such as communication office confidently through immediate and near-term steps and outline actions.

Communication inside and outside the organization during a crisis is essential. A group of well-trained staff are ready to answer questions and keep the public informed and up to date about the public water crisis. Inside the organization, a staff of five professional media relations specialists has prepared a crisis communications plan in their communication office to make the final decision on any news before they give any information to the media. A step-by-step plan for

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