Following the September 11th terrorist attacks and the subsequent anthrax attacks of 2001, Congress passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
A critical component of this legislation is the Healthcare System Preparedness Program (HSPP) administered through the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), formerly under the Health Resources and Services Administration. Currently, the program is housed under the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and provides grants to State Health Departments.
The threat of mass casualty incidents (MCI’s) or medical surge to the nation’s healthcare system has always been present. Preparing hospitals, healthcare systems, and other partners to prepare for, respond to, and rapidly recover from these threats is critical for protecting and securing our national healthcare system and Public Health infrastructure.
In response to these challenges, ASPR has produced a set of Healthcare Capabilities including guidance which will assist local, regional, and state planners to identify gaps in preparedness, determine specific priorities, and develop plans for building and sustaining healthcare specific capabilities.
One major focus is the development of healthcare “Coalitions”. These coalitions bring together a wide variety of healthcare and other community partners to accomplish the task of increasing community preparedness and resiliency.
The South Central Healthcare Coalition provides education and training, technical assistance, information sharing, and situational awareness to partners in the South Central region of Minnesota.
Current participation in the Coalition include a wide variety of partners from our 11 county area. Hospitals, Clinics, Public Health, EMS, Emergency Management, Long Term Care, Hospice and many other community partners come together for a unified approach to emergency preparedness.