Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Beyond Checklists: Readiness vs. Reality, Leading MCI Change with Ben Toombs & Nicholas Bell
Feb 21, 2026
Nicholas Bell, safety and emergency manager who rebuilt MCI governance after real events, and Ben Toombs, emergency programs director and nurse focused on logistics and training, discuss moving beyond checklists. They cover operational realities, communication and governance breakdowns, staff mental health support, regional coordination, and making readiness a continuous, tested practice.
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Plans Aren't Readiness
- Having an MCI plan alone creates a false sense of security if it's not practiced and operationalized.
- Ben Toombs says logistics and continuous testing build the operational muscle that clinical skills alone won't cover.
Plan Beyond The First 48 Hours
- Anticipate downstream care needs, not just initial stabilization, when planning MCIs.
- Ben Toombs warns to plan months-long supply and OR demands for burn or complex injury surges.
Hazards Are More Diverse Today
- The hazard landscape broadened from terrorism to all-hazards including cyber and infectious disease.
- Nicholas Bell says modern MCI prep must consider varied causes and cascading infrastructure failures.