Alert system fills critical need.

Developing a disaster preparedness program is just the start of being able to properly respond to supply chain emergency situations. The best plans evolve based on lessons learned during an actual event. The four-level program implemented at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee shows how improved results can be achieved by focusing on communications. Their work before the second wave of the H1N1 influenza outbreak helped the organization avoid some of the product shortages and capacity strains so many other hospitals and health systems experienced.