Steven Chinn, DPM, MS, MBA

Accreditation/Regulatory Officer, Stanford Health Care
Domestic Consultant, Joint Commission Resources

Steven Chinn discusses how prior experiences have helped him adapt and cope with this pandemic.

Prior crisis planning pays off

“We have not been hit as hard as other organizations in the country, but we still had to prepare for the surge. When we found out that our sources for a certain N95 mask size were no longer available, I had to figure out processes to fit test over 4,000 employees, residents, and physicians to the masks that were in stock. For a few weeks, it was a 24/7 operation. We did things that might not normally be in the job description. That included helping with locating space for staff to get urgently screened for possible exposure.  Much of this involved logistics, coordination, and knowing the organization.”

“Some of the larger crisis situations that my colleagues and I have experienced in the past, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, 9/11, and the California wildfires, gave us experience to manage and adapt. Using a high reliability approach during t these events, you plan for the worst, expect the unexpected, and hope for the best. You do the best you can with what you have and realize this is a marathon and not a sprint. It’s going to be several more months of this. Folks are planning on what it’s going to look like in the fall, even next winter. I think we have a way to go yet.”