Health departments in the U.S are going to receive more than $840 million in cooperative agreements from HHS www.hhs.gov to improve and sustain emergency preparedness of state, local public health, and healthcare systems.
The funds will be distributed through the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) www.phe.gov/hpp and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) www.cdc.gov/phpr/coopagreement.htm program. Nationwide HHS awarded $228.5 million for HPP and $611 million for PHEP in FY 2015.
Health departments use HPP funding administered by the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) www.phe.gov/about/aspr/pages/default.aspx, to develop and expand healthcare preparedness capabilities through regional healthcare coalitions. The goal is to incentivize healthcare organizations with different priorities and objectives to work together.
HPP is the only federal funding source that supports regional healthcare system preparedness. Healthcare coalitions collaborate to ensure that each member has the necessary medical equipment and supplies, real-time information, communication systems, and trained healthcare personnel to respond to an emergency.
About 24,000 organizations in the U.S. have formed nearly 500 healthcare coalitions. Coalition members include hospitals, emergency medical service providers, emergency management associations, long-term care facilities, behavioral health organizations, public health agencies, and other public and private sector partners.
PHEP administered by CDC advances public health preparedness and response capabilities among state and local health departments. Preparedness activities funded by PHEP cooperative agreements, will develop flexible and adaptable emergency-ready public health departments.