C5: Emergency Preparedness in Long-Term Care: Risk Assessment, Readiness, and Response
Wednesday, June 17 | 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Target Audience: Assisted Living/Personal Care, Governance & Leadership, Operations, Marketing
This session will provide a high-level refresher on Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (HVAs) in long-term care settings, including practical tools organizations can use to evaluate risks and strengthen preparedness. Attendees will review the key components of CMS emergency management regulations and learn how HVAs inform emergency planning, response, and compliance efforts. The session will also cover strategies for testing and drilling emergency plans, building effective partnerships with county Office of Emergency Management (OEM) agencies, and lessons learned from recent emergency events impacting long-term care providers.
NAB/NCERS
Speaker Information
Director of Emergency Management, LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware & The Health Care Association of New Jersey
Jax Wigert is a healthcare emergency management professional with over five years of experience in New Jersey’s healthcare sector. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management from Rowan University and is now the Director of Emergency Preparedness at LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware and the Health Care Association of New Jersey. Before this role, he served as an Emergency Management Coordinator at the New Jersey Hospital Association, where he managed federal grant programs, developed HSEEP-compliant exercises, conducted regional risk assessments, and worked directly with healthcare facility emergency management teams across the state. He also supported COVID-19 vaccination mega-site operations as a FEMA Local Hire and got my start in emergency management as an intern with the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, where he helped design a statewide active shooter training program recognized by the NJ Department of Health. Outside of Jax’s professional work, he is a certified Firefighter I and served with Point Pleasant Fire Station 75 for over four years.
