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When Hurricane Sandy plowed into the Northeast United States in 2012, estimated business losses totaled more than $25 billion. In New Jersey alone, 19,000 small businesses suffered losses of $250,000 or more with estimated losses at $8.3 billion, about 1 percent of the gross state product. The event served as a hard lesson in the unpredictability and danger of storms.

As the most common natural disaster in the United States, floods occur all year round. Some areas of the country experience more flooding during the spring because the warmer weather and rains melt winter snow rapidly. States affected by hurricanes and tropical storms are vulnerable to floods during the summer.

Before the invention of freezer compartments in the 1920s, people depended on ice, holes in the ground and window sills to extend the shelf life of perishable foods. After Upton Sinclair described the working conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking district in his book, The Jungle, public awareness regarding food safety and climate control significantly increased, leading to the Pure Food and Drug Act. When scientists identified that cool, sanitary conditions helped control the outbreak of food-related illnesses, healthier food processing followed. Thanks to continuing advances in climate control solutions and improvements in cold chain processes, modern food systems better ensure the safety and quality of the goods consumers eat and drink.

Anytime a patient interacts with a member of the medical community—from visiting a physician to calling a medical office with a question to filling a prescription—the events are noted in a health record. Thanks to technological advancements, many medical records are electronic. Several clinics, however, continue to use paper-based charts, as the practice may be more convenient to the providers and their staff. A health information records manager ensures the information in physical and electronic records remains up to date and accessible, in accordance with the facility’s document retention policy and privacy standards. The specialists use their expertise to align health care information with security and safety to protect a patient’s privacy and right to confidentiality.

Records losses for a non-profit organization could prove catastrophic. In addition to potentially crippling operations, losses could be a violation of federal and state document retention policies, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Because records-related incidents could have implications that a non-profit might not expect, it is wise to create a document retention policy with retention schedules, as well as a disaster preparedness plan that includes document drying and restoration.