Disaster Recovery/Contingency Planning

The Disaster Recovery/Contingency Planning (DRCP) team helps IHS facilities ensure that vital information technology (IT) systems and data are available and secure to serve their patients and clients. Recognizing that system outages are unavoidable, we collaborate with facility and system teams to provide in-depth, cohesive analysis and planning. This minimizes the operational effects of any disruptions. Facility and system contingency planning relies on first performing a facility business impact analysis (BIA) to identify which facility functions are most critical and after an outage, the priority in which those functions must be restored. This establishes the priority in which the supporting systems must also be restored.

After a facility or site performs a BIA, reliable response planning involves their developing and maintaining complementary facility and system response plans. These include Information System Contingency Plans (ISCPs) for critical IT systems and Disaster Recovery Plans (DRPs) for facilities. DRCP has developed practical tools and templates and is always ready to support their capture, review, signing, and secure storage.

With deep expertise in the federal regulations and standards that govern system and data security, we help system teams address and meet FISMA and HIPAA compliance. The DRCP team helps facilities document test results to support HHS audit and oversight requirements. We also work with facility and system teams to develop targeted exercises to support response readiness to outages. The facility can then use lessons learned to keep response plans and procedures current and accurate.

As a component of OIT/DIS, DRCP is happy to help Area Offices, and facility and system teams develop and implement strategies that help ensure business continuity. In addition to supporting planning and analysis, additional services we offer include:

• Developing and facilitating facility-specific exercises that reflect their unique risks and circumstances, and capturing after action reports
• Creating and deploying focused training modules for facility and system team members who are involved in contingency planning and response
• Providing facility-specific classroom or virtual instructor-led training
• Creating customized tools, templates, and reports to support facilities’ unique requests such as test reporting, function/system analyses, etc.

DRCP coordinates contingency planning efforts between Headquarters, Area offices, and facilities by engaging Area Information System Security Officers (ISSOs), system ISSOs, and facility management in plan approvals. In addition to expanding the footprint of knowledge to staff who need to know, additional engagement helps guarantee that all affected stakeholders can ensure that plans are comprehensive and fit for purpose.

To contact the DRCP team, email IHSDisasterRecoveryTeam@ihs.gov.