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Ministry of Health

Business Continuity Management

Business Continuity Management (BCM) ensures that critical government functions are maintained during a disruption and operations are resumed within a short period of time after an event has occurred. Developing and maintaining the BCM Program of an organization is critical to effective emergency management and the continued delivery of vital services. All members of an organization should be aware of their individual roles and responsibilities.

Business Continuity in the Health Sector

A successful BCM program ensures that the health sector will be able to function during, and recover from, a disaster. In the event of a major disaster such as an earthquake or pandemic, the health sector would play a vital role in emergency response. Acute care facilities, residential care facilities, BC Ambulance Service, and the health authorities need to continue providing services to the public during an emergency, and have the plans to address a potential increase in the demand for services.

Elements of a Successful BCM Program

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Every organization needs back up plans in the event of a disruption or emergency. Factors such as the loss of electrical power, access to data, contact information, transportation routes to and from the workplace, network failures, and the absence of staff are all factors that need to be considered when creating an effective BCP.

Communications Management
Ensuring that an organization has easily accessible and updated contact lists are critical to quickly contacting key staff and services in the event of an emergency. It is also important to have access to the media in the event of a disaster in order to communicate vital information to the public.

Informing and Educating Staff
It is important to test a BCP annually or after a significant organizational change. Ensuring that all members of an organization are familiar with the BCP, where it is located, as well as their roles and responsibilities within the BCP will better prepare an organization for an emergency. Plan regular meetings to update staff on the plan, and have a committee or individual that is specifically dedicated to updating and educating staff members on what to do in the event that the continuity of critical services is disrupted.

Consider all Types of Emergencies
There are many types of emergencies that have the potential to disrupt a business or organization’s operations. A BCP should reflect the possibility of various types of disruptions at different levels of severity.

For additional information, visit the Links page under the Business Continuity section.