(a) Every general hospital (hereinafter, hospital) shall adopt a detailed emergency Surge and Flex Response Plan (hereinafter, plan) that, at a minimum, includes the following elements:

1. (1) Bed surge plan. The plan shall explain how the hospital will increase the number of current staffed acute care operational beds to a number set by the commissioner, which shall be up to a 50 percent increase of such beds within 7 days from the date of the declaration of the State disaster emergency, and up to a 100 percent increase within 30 days. For the purposes of this Part, an acute care operational bed means a bed that is staffed and equipped with appropriate infrastructure such that it can be used to deliver health care services to a patient. The commissioner may further define the type of acute care operational beds for a given State disaster emergency, which may include isolation beds, intensive care (ICU) beds, pediatric and/or acute care beds.
2. (2) PPE surge plan. The plan shall explain how the hospital will increase its supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate for use in a pandemic to achieve continuous maintenance of its required 90-day supply of PPE within 30 days, based on a usage rate determined by the commissioner, pursuant to section 405.11(g) of this Title. The plan shall list the contracted entities or other supply chain agreements executed by the hospital. Such plan shall further include, as appropriate, how the hospital will repurpose existing equipment, replenish the inventory from other areas of the health system, and establish cooperative agreements to obtain PPE to accommodate supply chain interruptions.
3. (3) Mass casualty plan. The plan shall explain how the hospital will receive and treat mass casualty victims, in the event of a secondary disaster arising from the interruption of normal services resulting from an epidemic, earthquake, flood, bomb threat, chemical spills, strike, interruption of utility services, nuclear accidents and similar occurrences, while addressing the continued need for surge capacity for the underlying State disaster emergency declaration.
4. (4) Staffing plan. The plan shall explain how the hospital will: identify and train backups for employees who may be unable to report to work during a pandemic; institute employee overtime protocols; and increase staffing by inter- and intra-system loan, cross-training, and volunteer programs, which would be operational on seven days’ notice.
5. (5) Capital plan. The plan shall explain how the hospital shall ensure continuous operation of facilities and access to utilities, materials, electronic devices, machinery and equipment, vehicles, and communication systems. The plan shall ensure that the hospital routinely performs all required maintenance and peak load testing of its infrastructure systems, including: electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and oxygen supply.

(d) In the event of a declared State disaster emergency, any or all hospitals shall execute their plans immediately upon the direction of the commissioner.

1. (1) PPE. Every hospital shall, at all times, continue to maintain the required 90-day supply of PPE appropriate for use in a disaster emergency including a pandemic, based on a usage rate and determined by the commissioner, and pursuant to section 405.11(g) of this Title.

2. (2) Information technology. Every hospital shall ensure that non-essential staff who are capable of working remotely in the event of an emergency are equipped and trained to do so, and that infrastructure is in place to allow for the repurposing of existing workspaces as needed when activating the Surge and Flex System.

   (f) Reporting requirements during the activation of the Surge and Flex System.

3. (1) In the event of a declared State disaster emergency, upon the commissioner’s direction, hospitals shall report to the department all data requested by the commissioner, in a manner determined by the commissioner under section 360.2 of this Part. Such data may include, but shall not be limited to:

   1. (i) bed availability, both in total and by designated service;
   2. (ii) bed capacity, meaning acute care operational beds as defined in paragraph (a)(1) of this section;
   3. (iii) patient demographics;
   4. (iv) other health statistics, including deaths;
   5. (v) PPE and other supplies, in stock and ordered;
   6. (vi) PPE and other supply usage rates.
4. (2) Such reports shall be submitted every 24 hours, except and unless otherwise directed by the department.

(e) Additional preparedness requirements.