Which healthcare professional has the authority to cancel usual operations in a hospital during a disaster?

The hospital incident commander holds the authority to cancel usual operations during a disaster because this role is designated to coordinate and manage all disaster response activities within the facility. The incident commander is responsible for establishing command and control in emergency situations, ensuring the safety of staff and patients, and making critical decisions about resource allocation and operational continuity. This includes the ability to halt regular hospital functions to focus on the immediate needs of disaster response, ensuring that the hospital can effectively manage the influx of patients and coordinate with external emergency services.

In contrast, while an operations manager may oversee daily hospital functions, their role does not typically extend to emergency command decision-making. The chief medical officer is primarily focused on clinical quality and medical oversight, rather than the logistical and operational response to disasters. The clinical coordinator, while vital for patient care management, does not possess the comprehensive authority needed to cancel operations or direct a hospital-wide response during emergencies. Therefore, the hospital incident commander is uniquely positioned to make such pivotal decisions.