Shelby Larkin

The Operational Continuity–Cyber Incident (OCCI) Checklist is a structured, role-based planning and response framework developed under the 405(d) Program in collaboration with healthcare and cybersecurity stakeholders. Its purpose is to help healthcare organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale cyber incidents—particularly those that disrupt operations over an extended period. The checklist provides a flexible template that aligns with incident command structures and can be adapted based on an organization’s size, resources, and operational complexity.

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At its core, the OCCI is designed to support operational continuity during cyber crises, ensuring that critical healthcare services can continue even when systems are compromised. It organizes responsibilities into functional roles (such as Incident Commander, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and IT/IS leadership), helping organizations clearly define who does what during an incident. This structure promotes coordination across departments and supports rapid decision-making in high-pressure situations.

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From a project management perspective, the development of the OCCI checklist required extensive coordination across federal agencies, healthcare organizations, emergency management experts, and cybersecurity professionals. As the project manager, I worked with my team to align input from diverse stakeholders, synthesize best practices, and organize content into a standardized, role-based framework. The product also required iterative review cycles to validate accuracy, ensure usability across different organizational types, and integrate feedback from real-world incident response experiences. In addition, managing version control, approvals, and updates was critical to maintaining the checklist as a reliable, up-to-date operational tool that could be widely adopted across the healthcare sector.

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From a graphic design perspective, the OCCI checklist was structured to prioritize clarity, usability, and quick reference under stressful conditions. As the graphic designer, I created a highly organized layout that breaks information into clearly defined sections by role, allowing users to quickly locate their responsibilities during an incident. Visual hierarchy, consistent typography, and modular formatting were used to make the document easy to scan and navigate. The inclusion of “tearaway” sections and role-specific breakdowns further supports usability in real-world environments where quick access to information is essential. Accessibility standards (including Section 508 compliance), readability, and consistency across sections were key considerations in ensuring the checklist is functional, professional, and usable for a broad audience.

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Overall, the OCCI checklist represents a combination of operational planning, stakeholder coordination, and thoughtful design—bringing together project management discipline and visual communication principles to produce a practical, role-based tool that supports healthcare organizations in maintaining continuity during cyber incidents.