More than $840 million has been awarded by HHS to improve emergency preparedness within the states to improve healthcare systems and local public health. The funding is to be distributed through two federal preparedness programs.
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) administered by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) received $228.5 million and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program administered by CDC received $611.75 million. The states that received the most funding from both programs were California, Florida, and Texas.
The programs provide resources to help state and local communities respond effectively to infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and chemical, biological, or radiological nuclear events.
This marks the third year that HPP and PHEP funds are being awarded jointly, and will reduce the administrative burden on grantees. The HPP and PHEP cooperative agreement programs enable communities to conduct more effective joint planning, exercises, and program operations. Also, the cooperative agreements encourage state and local public health departments to work with the federal programs to maximize resources and prevent duplicative efforts.
For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/phpr/coopagreement.htm.