| The University of Texas Medical Branch
and its employees have braved many disasters - from the 1900 storm and
the Texas City Disasters of 1947 to Hurricanes Carla in 1961 and Alicia
in 1983. In order to maintain our status as one of the leading
health care institutions in the nation, we must continue to prepare for
such and other potential disasters. The Gulf
Coast's vulnerability to natural disasters, coupled with the threat of
homeland terrorism in the United States since 9/11, make it more
essential than ever for UTMB to ensure that plans are in place, tested
true and viable should situations develop - whether man-made or natural.
Therefore, in response to
these challenges UTMB has establish a Business Continuity Planning
program.
Business Continuity Planning
(BCP) is the process of developing advance arrangements and procedures
that enable UTMB to respond to an interruption in such a manner that
critical business functions continue with planned levels of interruption
or essential change. In simpler terms, BCP is the strategic act of
planning a method to prevent, if possible, and to minimize and manage
the consequences of an event that interrupts critical business
processes.
UTMB Policy 2.1.5 states that all
departments must have a Business Continuity Management (BCM) Plan and
ensure that all employees are familiar with their individual roles and
responsibilities.
An effective BCM plan addresses fifteen (15) key areas.
(follow links to more descriptions and examples of each) |
