To: Long Term Care Facility Administrators From: Holly Medved, CDPHE Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response (OEPR) Plans Section The CDPHE Heat Response plan was developed in 2023 with a focus on Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF) preparedness for extreme heat events. The review cycle for this plan is annually with triannual revisions. It has been 3 years since the initiation of the plan and therefore, it is currently in the revision phase. The initial plan included data that demonstrated the total number of facilities with backup power availability as well as cooling options for patients in the event of a heat related incident. As part of the current plan revision the facility assessment will again be completed. The assessment for this revision cycle has additional questions which include: generator fuel type, type of cooling system, and if the cooling system is connected to generator power. OEPR kindly asks that each LTCF complete the attached survey no later than April 7, 2026.  It is important to note that information gathered in this survey will go directly to the OEPR Planning team and will not be used for regulatory purposes.  LTCF Heat Survey For further information please contact the CDPHE OEPR Planning team at cdphe_oepr_planningsection@state.co.us.

Stryker Cyber Attack (3/11/26)

 

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Jacquelyn Erwin, Deputy Division Director, HFEMSD Re: Stryker Cyber Attack (3/11/26) On March 11, 2026 Stryker reported a global network disruption as a result of a cyber attack. We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained. Stryker has reached out to facilities and agencies directly.    State response partners have been made aware of notifications going to Stryker customers and regional response partners. There are no known response needs at this time.   If your organization is experiencing or anticipates service disruption due to Stryker Medical equipment or devices, please report those disruptions as per your local cyber security reporting procedures. You can use the resources below to locate your local contacts for assistance. Find your local emergency management contact information (and sign up for emergency alerts on this site) Find your regional health care coalition Find your local public health agency  Let us know how we may provide further assistance.

REGISTER NOW: Extreme Heat Webinar for Healthcare Providers w/ CDPHE experts on Thurs., March 26, from 10-11:30 AM

 

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Melanie Roth, Emergency Response Coordinator, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division Re: Register Now for CDPHE Extreme Heat Webinar for Healthcare Facilities and Agencies with CDPHE Staff Extreme heat events in Colorado are increasing in duration, frequency, and intensity as a result of climate change. These accelerating changes have led to a rise in human exposure to harmful temperatures, and we’re seeing the repercussions of that on the health of communities that lack resources to adapt to or recover from heat.   Join us on Thursday, March 26, from 10-11:30 AM for a live webinar on the impacts and implications of extreme heat in Colorado and populations at risk including your clients, residents and patients. Learn steps you can take to prepare and respond to the warm season ahead. Better understand how extreme heat is impacting Colorado and the impact of extreme heat on our bodies and the environment Review climate projections for Spring and Summer 2026 Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses Discuss persons most at risk and populations of concern Steps to protecting your patients, residents, and clients from extreme heat Monitoring your weather online using National Weather Service (NWS) resources. Components of an extreme heat emergency plan or annex Speakers include:  Radhika Ratnabalasuriar, MD Medical Epidemiologist, Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Medical Epidemiology Unit  Molly Middleton, MPH, Environmental Epidemiologist and Colorado Environmental Public Health Tracking Program Manager, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability  Molly Kadota, MPH - Healthy Communities Coordinator, Healthy Communities Unit, Prevention Services Division. Henry Mitchell, Public Health Operations Branch Chief, Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response  Mallory Roybal, MPH, MURP, Senior Sustainability and Research Specialist,Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR) Melanie Roth-Lawson, Emergency Response Coordinator/Trainer, HFEMSD We encourage you to share this training with your staff. Register here to get the training link (class is free). For more information, contact Melanie Roth-Lawson atMelanie.Roth-Lawson@state.co.us.

XCEL Energy Announces Public Safety Power-Shutoff on Friday, Jan. 16 for Larimer and Weld Counties

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Melanie Roth, Emergency Response Coordinator, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division Re: XCEL Energy Announces Public Safety Power-Shutoff (PSPS) on Friday, Jan. 16 for Parts of Larimer County, and parts of Weld County Due to extreme wildfire risk and a Fire Weather Watch issued by the National Weather Service, Xcel Energy has issued notice of a power shutoff (Public Safety Power Shutoff or PSPS) on Friday, January 16, 2026, in parts of Larimer and Weld counties, from approximately 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Unplanned outages may also occur due to damage from extreme winds.  Xcel crews will be staged at the Fort Collins service center on Friday to patrol and restore lines as quickly as possible, once it is safe to do so. For damaged lines, it may take up to several days for power to be restored from planned or unplanned outages.  Please check the up-to-date Xcel Electric Outage Map to see if your address is impacted (Even if you are not in a PSPS zone, high winds can cause other outages). You can monitor the event on the Public Safety Power Shutoff Event Update.  Placing an emphasis on delivering care even in the face of power outages must be a priority to protect residents, clients, patients and staff from harm. Preparation for residential providers Have emergency plans and arrangements in place if you cannot provide generator power and need to evacuate medically compromised residents. Other suggestions: Consider your DME supply and potential needs. Consult your facility’s emergency plan. Notify engineering and facility staff as early as possible of additional power needs. Review evacuation plans and prepare staff in case of power outages, and make sure your transportation is in good working order. Monitor indoor temperatures. Increase the frequency of patient observations, especially those at high risk.  If you lose heat and are in a high-rise building, prepare to move individuals from lower floors to higher floors (remember, heat rises). Conserve supplies, such as ice and fuel, based on anticipated or current shortages. Keep medications cool. Place medications that require refrigeration in an ice chest or cooler packed with ice, cooling bricks, or cold packs. Use a thermometer to monitor medication temperatures to ensure they're safe to use. Avoid freezing medication by making sure it does not directly touch the ice. Plan and consider options and plans for access to food and meals during the power outage. Preparation for home health/home care agencies and in-home hospice providers with clients at home:  Agencies are responsible for having individualized emergency plans for their clients, based on their individual needs. Encourage your clients who have durable medical equipment to have extra batteries and/or a car charger available. Keeping extra concentrator batteries fully charged will give your clients oxygen for longer if you lose power. If possible, keep enough fully-charged batteries to last a couple of days. Arrange with clients’ oxygen suppliers for back-up emergency supply that does not require electricity, such as oxygen tanks and cylinders. Make sure your clients know how to set up and use their back up emergency oxygen supply. If you have clients that rely on several different types of electrical assistive devices, he/she/they may want to look into purchasing a generator. Temporary use generators can be purchased at most hardware and department stores (such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, and similar stores). Here are resources that can help home health providers prepare their clients during emergencies: How to Survive an Extended Power Outage with Home Medical Equipment Home Use Devices: How to Prepare for and Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices that Require Electricity Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery-Dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Preparation for response operations Since all emergencies start locally, we want you to know that local public health agencies and regional healthcare coalitions have been notified about the power outages. Make sure that you all have the appropriate local contact information, should you need to reach out for emergency assistance: Locations in Larimer County for sheltering or power supply, currently referred to as “comfort centers” are available through your local emergency management contact.  Find your local emergency management contact information (and sign up for emergency alerts on this site) Find your regional health care coalition Find your local public health agency  For assistance with movement, placement or care of patients or residents, complete this Health Care Facility/Agency Status Check-In Form detailing any assistance you need. This form will be routed to the appropriate response partners. You may also email cdphe_oepr_medops@state.co.us.

IMPORTANT UPDATE RE XCEL Energy Potential Public Safety Power-Shutoff on Wednesday, 12/17 @ 10 AM for Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Melanie Roth, Emergency Response Coordinator, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division Re: Updates to XCEL Energy POTENTIAL Public Safety Power-Shutoffs on Wednesday, December 17 Now @ 10 AM for Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties The potential Xcel Energy Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) has been pushed forward to begin at 10:00 AM today, December 17th, and the scope of the expected planned shutoff has been reduced significantly. Potentially impacted counties have been narrowed to include Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld. This shutoff is being considered due to hazard risks, including wildfires, associated with forecasted high winds, high temperatures, and low humidity. A final decision regarding the power shut-off will be made early Wednesday (12/17) morning.   Xcel maintains a list of critical facilities, to find out if you are on this list or to get added, reach out to your local emergency management contact (see below). You can also find up-to-date Electrical Power Outage information on the Xcel Electric Outage Map.   Make sure that you all have the appropriate local contact information:  Find your local emergency management contact information (and sign up for emergency alerts on this site) Find your regional health care coalition Find your local public health agency   PLEASE NOTE:  Getting your facility’s name added to the list of critical facilities to be considered for a priority de/re-energization only helps facilities to get power re-secured. It does NOT mean that your power will be kept on/no power outage.  Xcel customers will begin receiving notices directly from Xcel on Tuesday evening if your area is no longer being considered. Xcel is still expecting and planning for unplanned outages in all Front Range counties because of the high winds. More wind, though not expected to be as significant, again on Thursday and Friday. Prior to requesting assistance, ensure your facility/agency has already: Implemented your emergency operations plan Attempted to provide care management during the potential outage Detailed attempts made to temporarily or permanently place the patient/resident/client so that efforts are not duplicated and show that state support coordination thresholds have been met. Should you need assistance after exercising all available resources, please complete this Situational Awareness form detailing patient placement, transport, care assistance needed. This form will be routed to the appropriate response partners.

XCEL Energy Announces POTENTIAL Public Safety Power-Shutoff on Wednesday, December 17 @ 12 PM - Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Melanie Roth, Emergency Response Coordinator, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division Re: XCEL Energy Announces POTENTIAL Public Safety Power-Shutoff on Wednesday, December 17 @ 12 p.m. for Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties Xcel Energy has issued notice that they may turn off power (called a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS) beginning on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. This shutoff is being considered due to hazard risks associated with forecasted high winds, high temperatures, and low humidity.  At this time, the possible shutoff could affect large areas along the front range, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld Counties. Xcel believes it is likely that some power shutoffs will be needed, but expects to better define which areas will be affected within the next 24 hours as weather forecasts become more precise. Xcel provides up-to-date power outage information on its Electric Outage Map.  Regarding power restoration timing, Xcel expects power to return within 24 hours if the power grid is not affected by the weather. If the grid is damaged, restoration could be delayed until Friday. We are seeking more clarity on this timeline. Placing an emphasis on delivering care even in the face of power outages must be a priority to protect residents, clients, patients and staff from harm. For residential providers, we’d like to remind everyone to have emergency plans and arrangements in place if you cannot provide generator power and need to evacuate medically compromised residents. Other suggestions: Consult your facility’s emergency plan. Notify engineering and facility staff as early as possible of additional power needs. Review evacuation plans and prepare staff in case of power outages, and make sure your transportation is in good working order. Monitor indoor temperatures. Increase the frequency of patient observations, especially those at high risk.  If you lose heat and are in a high-rise building, prepare to move individuals from lower floors to higher floors (remember, heat rises). Conserve supplies, such as ice and fuel, based on anticipated or current shortages. Keep medications cool. Place medications that require refrigeration in an ice chest or cooler packed with ice, cooling bricks, or cold packs. Use a thermometer to monitor medication temperatures to ensure they're safe to use. Avoid freezing medication by making sure it does not directly touch the ice. Plan and consider options and plans for access to food and meals during the power outage. For home health/home care agencies and in-home hospice providers with clients at home:  Agencies are responsible for developing individualized emergency plans for their clients, tailored to their specific needs. Encourage your clients who have durable medical equipment to have extra batteries and/or a car charger available. Keeping extra concentrator batteries fully charged will provide your clients with oxygen for longer if power is lost. If possible, keep enough fully-charged batteries to last a couple of days. Arrange with clients’ oxygen supply companies about a back-up emergency supply that does not require electricity, such as oxygen tanks and cylinders. Make sure your clients know how to set up and use their backup emergency oxygen supply. If you have clients who rely on several different types of electrical assistive devices, they may want to look into purchasing a generator. Temporary use generators can be purchased at most hardware and department stores (such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, and similar stores). Should you need assistance with movement, placement or care of patients or residents, please complete this Situational Awareness form detailing any assistance you need. This form will be routed to the appropriate response partners. You may also email cdphe_oepr_medops@state.co.us.  Here are some resources that can help home health providers prepare their clients during emergencies: How to Survive an Extended Power Outage with Home Medical Equipment Home Use Devices: How to Prepare for and Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices that Require Electricity Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery-Dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Finally, since all emergencies start locally, we want you to know that local public health agencies and regional healthcare coalitions have been notified about the potential power outages. Make sure that you all have the appropriate local contact information, should you need to reach out for emergency assistance: Find your local emergency management contact information (and sign up for emergency alerts on this site) Find your regional health care coalition Find your local public health agency We will continue to keep you updated. For concerns related to the ability to care for residents, patients or clients, please reach out to Melanie Roth at 720-291-5929 or melanie.roth-lawson@state.co.us.

Reminder about emergency policies, procedures, and evacuation plans

 

To: Assisted Living Providers and Consumers of Assisted Living Services From: Jane Flournoy, ALR Section, Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Service Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment The Health Facilities Emergency Medical Services Division (HFEMSD) has noted an uptick in Assisted Living Residences (ALRs) and Alternative Care Facilities (ACFs) with emergency policies and plans that do not adequately meet the needs of the residence in the event of an emergency. Please review the rule language below and ensure your ALRs' emergency policies and plans are realistic and responsive to any emergency issues that may arise. 10.6 (Tag S920) Each assisted living residence’s emergency policies shall address, at a minimum, all of the following items: (A) Written instructions for each identified risk that includes persons to be notified and steps to be taken. The instructions shall be readily available 24 hours a day in more than one location with all staff aware of the locations; (B) A schematic plan of the building or portions thereof placed visibly in a central location and throughout the building, as needed, showing evacuation routes, smoke stop and fire doors, exit doors, and the location of fire extinguishers and fire alarm boxes; (C) When to evacuate the premises and the procedure for doing so; (D) A pre-determined means of communicating with residents, families, staff and other providers; (E) A plan that ensures the availability of, or access to, emergency power for essential functions and all resident-required medical devices or auxiliary aids; (F) Storage and preservation of medications; (G) Assignment of specific tasks and responsibilities to the staff members on each shift including use of a triage system to assess the needs of the most vulnerable residents first; (H) Protection and transfer of health information as needed to meet the care needs of residents; and (I) In the event relocation of residents becomes necessary, written agreements with other health facilities and/or community agencies. For questions, please contact Jane Flournoy at jane.flournoy@state.co.us. .