College of American Pathologists News (CAPnews) (Internet / Print) Winter 2005/2006 http://www.cap.org/apps/cap.portal?_nfpb=true&cntvwrPtlt_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2FcontentViewer%2Fshow&_windowLabel=cntvwrPtlt&cntvwrPtlt%7BactionForm.contentReference%7D=laboratory_resources%2Fcap_news%2Fwinter_2005%2Fare_you_ready_if_disaster_strikes.html&_state=maximized&_pageLabel=cntvwr Each disaster has its own set of unique issues, and your plans need to consider the varying complexities of each threat. “Because of the likelihood of hurricanes and tropical storms in southeast Texas, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston performs annual assessments of its plans and keeps them constantly up to date,” notes Bert Nash, Manager of Pathology Clinical Services, UTMB Department of Pathology. This laboratory began to prepare for Hurricane Rita while it was still a tropical storm southeast of Florida. The UTMB disaster plan defines the hospital’s governance structure, how clinical labs ramp up to emergency status, which services are continued or curtailed, how and where services are provided, and how they return to normal operations.