When the snow comes down, panic ensues. Grocery stores are packed to the gills with people stocking up on bread and milk.

Salt and ice-melt are nowhere to be found.But when a weather emergency looms, how does a hospital prepare?For Joe Guardiani, emergency preparedness coordinator at Blue Mountain Health System, that's the very foundation of his job."Our principal goal is to protect our patients, staff, and visitors at the hospital," Guardiani said.Guardiani said that being ready for anything is an absolute necessity at the hospital, so they rely on standards and systems like Knowledge Center, which facilitates emergency management and allows for information sharing."The Knowledge Center is a web-based platform that allows us to open up certain events. So today, we opened a list of goals and objectives dealing with the snow," Guardiani said.Ensuring that there are enough hospital staff members in each department is a necessity. Maintenance staff were notified that their services could be called upon for snow removal. Clear entrances and exits are a priority.Guardiani said that in situations like heavy snow, a few physicians will often hang around after their shifts to make sure that the hospital is well covered. Doctors, nurses, and other staff members will often come in early to avoid a dangerous commute, and the hospital prepares spaces for them to rest before their shifts."We make accommodations available for staff if they need to stay over, and we encourage them to keep a 'go-bag' in their car if it's called for," Guardiani said.Supplies are a key element of preparedness, as well."We have to be supplied and prepared to be cut off for four days, 96 hours, so we have enough food, linen, and pharmaceuticals that we may need for that time," Guardiani said.In case of a dire emergency, the Knowledge Center helps communicate requests to the county - or, in worst-case scenarios, FEMA - for items like generators.No matter how much snow comes down, the Gnaden Huetten and Palmerton campuses must remain open for the good of the community, and Guardiani is a key part of the team that makes sure they can help those in need."We're in business 24/7, 365 days a year," Guardiani said. "We have patients that we take care of day and night... We will always come up with solutions to keep the hospital running safely. I'm proud to be part of that team."