Winter Storm Preparation for Rheumatology Practices: Drugs, Staffing, and Office Readiness

Winter weather disruptions are becoming more frequent—and more unpredictable. For rheumatology practices, the impact goes far beyond delayed appointments. Weather-related closures can disrupt temperature-sensitive medications, staffing availability, patient prioritization, and drug deliveries, all while rescheduling becomes increasingly difficult.

With more storms expected this season, now is the time to pressure-test your practice’s preparedness plan.

1. Medication Safety During Power Outages

Many rheumatology practices store biologics and specialty medications that are temperature regulated.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have backup power for medication refrigerators?
• Are temperature logs monitored remotely or manually?
• Who is responsible for documenting outages?

Best practices to consider:

• Ensure refrigerators are connected to emergency power or generators.
• Use continuous temperature monitoring with alert capabilities.
• Maintain a written protocol for:
  • How long medications remain safe without power
  • When medications must be quarantined or discarded
  • How and when to notify vendors or manufacturers
• Insurance Rider for drugs

If your practice does not have a generator, identify alternative storage locations (nearby hospitals, infusion centers, or partner practices) before a storm hits.

2. What Happens When Drug Deliveries Stop?

Winter storms don’t just close offices—they shut down airports, delay couriers, and disrupt supply chains.

Preparation steps:

• Review on-hand inventory levels for biologic drugs and supplies.
• Consider ordering ahead of your normal delivery window if you have the storage capacity
• Confirm vendor policies for weather-related delivery delays.

Practices should proactively identify ways to handle supply interruptions and develop contingency plans accordingly. You may want to keep a buffer of your most commonly used drugs and supplies. If there are order delays, you can still maintain your infusion schedule at a lower capacity without risking waste.

3. Staffing Challenges During Severe Weather

Even if your office remains open, staff availability may not.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have a clear weather closure policy?
  • Decide on a deadline. Will the decision be made the night before or day of? Does staff need to use PTO, or will they be paid?
  • Have policy when the state declares an emergency and non-essential works need to stay off the roads.
• Can administrative, billing, or clinical work shift remotely?
  • Consider what to do if they have home power outages and remote connectivity issues.
• Is there cross-training in place if key staff cannot travel?
  • Identify what steps are required to safely get the patient in and out the door, and what can wait until the office returns to regular operations.
• Consider bringing home a hard copy of the appointment schedule with patient’s number so calls can be made even if the internet is down.

Practices that have defined decision-making authority (who calls closures, delays, or reduced schedules) reduce confusion and last-minute scrambling. Communicate decisions to all staff, especially those not onsite daily. Alert your after-hours/emergency call service of any office closure so critical calls are properly routed.

4. Prioritizing Patients When Rescheduling Is Hard

When multiple days are lost to weather, rescheduling becomes a clinical and operational challenge.

Consider prioritizing:

1. Infusion and injection of patients with limited therapeutic windows
2. Patients with high disease activity or recent flares
3. New patient consults requiring a timely diagnosis
4. Routine follow-ups that can safely be delayed or converted to telehealth

Having a pre-defined prioritization framework helps staff communicate consistently and reduces patient frustration during already stressful circumstances. Bringing in an additional nurse to reduce scheduling delays or extending hours to accommodate patients affected by cold and icy conditions could help patients stay on track.

5. Communication Is Part of Preparedness

Patients are more understanding when communication is clear, early, and consistent.

Best practices include:

• Pre-storm messaging via text, portal, or email
• Clear instructions on:
  • Appointment status
  • When and how patients will be contacted to reschedule

Transparency builds trust and saves your front desk from hundreds of inbound calls.

Final Thought

Winter storms are no longer rare, one-off events. They are recurring operational risks that require intentional planning, especially for rheumatology practices managing complex patients and high-cost medications.

Preparedness isn’t just about staying open, it’s about protecting patients, safeguarding drugs, supporting staff, and maintaining continuity of care when conditions are outside your control.

Now is the moment to review your storm readiness plan—before the next forecast becomes reality.