Product Description

Natural disasters—such as severe storms and wildfires—and human-caused emergencies—from cyberattacks and widespread outages to mass shootings—have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years. And Joint Commission–accredited health care organizations are expected to engage in a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action to ensure emergency preparedness and management.

Emergency Management Leader™—the latest digital newsletter from The Joint Commission—provides practical strategies to help health care organizations comply with The Joint Commission’s Emergency Management (EM) requirements. This newsletter features case studies explaining how health care organizations handle real emergencies; practical tips from Joint Commission subject matter experts and industry leaders to help maintain and support compliance; and useful tools such as tabletop exercises, drill scenarios, checklists, sample policies and plans, and after-action reports.

Intended for EM leaders, managers, and coordinators in all health care settings, Emergency Management Leader™ covers a wide range of topics, including mass casualty incident response, communication during disasters, infectious disease preparedness, EM training, EM program evaluation, and more.

Emergency Management Leader™ publishes bimonthly, with issues in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

About

Executive Editor: Carolyn Schierhorn, MA
Senior Editor: Margaret McConnell  
Senior Project Manager: Heather Yang
Publications and Education Coordinator: Kristine Stejskal
Associate Director, Production: Johanna Harris
Associate Director, Editorial/Books & Digital Subscriptions: Phyllis Crittenden
Executive Director, Global Publishing: Catherine Chopp Hinckley, MA, PhD

Contact the Editor

Carolyn Schierhorn, MA
Joint Commission Resources
One Renaissance Boulevard
Suite 401
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(630) 268-3747
cschierhorn@jcrinc.com

Subscription Information

Emergency Management Leader (ISSN: 2996-4946) is published bi-monthly (6 times a year) by Joint Commission Resources, One Renaissance Boulevard, Suite 401, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.

For questions about subscribing or renewing your subscription or updating your address information, please contact JCR Product Support (877.223.6866, Option 1).

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any reason without permission. Contact permissions@jcrinc.com.

©2025 The Joint Commission

FAQs

Who in my organization should read Emergency Management Leader?

Emergency Management Leader is intended for:

• EM leaders, managers, and coordinators in all types of health care settings.
• Safety and security officers, facilities managers, infection preventionists, clinical staff leaders, and others who serve on multidisciplinary EM teams.
• Accreditation preparation and compliance professionals.

What topics does Emergency Management Leader cover?

• The Joint Commission’s Emergency Management (EM) standards for all types of health care organizations accredited by TJC, including updates, survey information, and more
• EM compliance tips, strategies, and evidence-based practices
• EM tools, policies, drills, and plan templates
• Hazard vulnerability analyses (HVAs)
• Planning, mitigation, response, and recovery articles (including case studies) for specific types of emergencies, including:
  • Workplace violence (mass-violence or frequent incidents)
  • Active attacker preparedness
  • Wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, severe storms, and other natural disasters
  • Human-caused disasters, accidental (chemical spills, nuclear accidents) and deliberate (bioterrorism, cyberattacks)
  • Epidemic/pandemic preparedness
  • Mass casualty incidents
  • Evacuation
  • Continuity of Operations Planning
  • Education and training for EM leaders
  • Education and training for staff on EM
  • Elements of a robust EM program

How often does Emergency Management Leader publish?

Emergency Management Leader is published 6 times a year by Joint Commission Resources in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

Can I submit articles?

Yes, but obtain pre-approval from the editor first. See the “Submission Guidelines” tab.

Standards Interpretation

If you have questions regarding interpretation or clarification of The Joint Commission standards, please check out Joint Commission Standards Interpretation FAQs or contact The Joint Commission's Standards Interpretation Group (SIG) through the Online Question Form.

Submission Guidelines

Do you have:

• An idea for an article?
• A contact for a case study?
• An example of an organization “doing the right things right”? (Maybe even your organization!)
• An outstanding and useful form, tool, playbook, or checklist?
• A question that needs answering?
• A myth or misconception that needs clarification?
• A hot topic that you want addressed?
• A crucial issue that needs attention?

If so, please send your ideas to Emergency Management Leader™ at cschierhorn@jcrinc.com.

Emergency Management Leader features timely, practical articles about meeting Joint Commission emergency management (EM) standards and elements of performance (EPs).

Key topics include:

• EM standards information and updates, including survey information
• EM compliance tips, strategies, and evidence-based practices
• EM tools, policies, drills, and plan templates
• Planning, mitigation, response, and recovery articles (including case studies) for specific types of emergencies
• Continuity of operations planning
• Education and training for EM leaders
• Education and training for staff on EM
• Elements of a robust EM program

Emergency Management Leader™ invites readers to submit best-practice solutions as well as queries regarding potential articles and case studies. Please submit suggestions to cschierhorn@jcrinc.com. Articles pre-approved for submission should be between 800 and 1,200 words and include graphic elements, such as photos and charts.

A panel of Joint Commission experts on EM standards and accreditation issues will review each article that is considered suitable for publication. Authors should be available to answer the editor’s questions and approve edited copy.

Payment Options

All Joint Commission Resources products require pre-payment. For your convenience, if you do not have a credit card or a Paypal account available, we offer a sales quote/proforma invoice option to assist with initiating your payment. Payments submitted by check take up to 14 days to process. If you are registering for a program less than 14 days away, your registration may not be received in time and your seat may not be reserved. You will not have access to electronic program materials until your payment has been received. We strongly recommend credit card payments for any events less than 14 days away.

To take advantage of this option:

1. Choose your item(s) and add them to your shopping cart. Select "Proceed to Secure Checkout or Create Proforma Invoice."
2. Enter your billing and shipping details. Select "Continue."
3. The next screen will be a full summary of your order.
4. On the bottom right, there is a section titled "Create Proforma Invoice."
5. Click the "Proforma Invoice" button. (See image below.) 
6. Within 5 minutes, a sales quote will be sent to your email address with details about how to complete a check or wire transfer payment.

Or contact Product Support at 877.223.6866, option 1 (+1 630 268 2990 outside the US) or via email at orders@jcrinc.com to have a proforma invoice created and emailed directly to you.

Thank you.