Introduction

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response (ASPR) leads the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering
from the adverse health effects of emergencies and disasters. This is accomplished by supporting the
nation’s ability to withstand adversity, strengthening health and emergency response systems, and
enhancing national health security. ASPR’s Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) enables the health care
delivery system to save lives during emergencies and disaster events that exceed the day-to-day
capacity and capability of existing health and emergency response systems. HPP is the only source of
federal funding for health care delivery system readiness, intended to improve patient outcomes,
minimize the need for federal and supplemental state resources during emergencies, and enable rapid
recovery. HPP prepares the health care delivery system to save lives through the development of health
care coalitions (HCCs) that incentivize diverse and often competitive health care organizations with
differing priorities and objectives to work together.

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Hospital Preparedness Program

HPP Benefits

The value of participating in an HCC is not limited to emergency preparedness and response. Day-to-day
benefits may include:

• Meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements
• Enhancing purchasing power (e.g., bulk purchasing agreements)
• Accessing clinical and non-clinical expertise
• Networking among peers
• Sharing leading practices
• Developing interdependent relationships
• Reducing risk
• Addressing other community needs, including meeting requirements for tax exemption through
community benefit

The Four HPP Capabilities

The four Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities are:

Capability 1: Foundation for Health Care and Medical Readiness

Goal of Capability 1: The community’s health care organizations and other stakeholders—coordinated
through a sustainable HCC—have strong relationships, identify hazards and risks, and prioritize and
address gaps through planning, training, exercising, and managing resources.

Capability 2: Health Care and Medical Response Coordination

Goal of Capability 2: Health care organizations, the HCC, their jurisdiction(s), and the ESF-8 lead agency
plan and collaborate to share and analyze information, manage and share resources, and coordinate
strategies to deliver medical care to all populations during emergencies and planned events.

Capability 3: Continuity of Health Care Service Delivery

Goal of Capability 3: Health care organizations, with support from the HCC and the ESF-8 lead agency,
provide uninterrupted, optimal medical care to all populations in the face of damaged or disabled health
care infrastructure. Health care workers are well-trained, well-educated, and well-equipped to care for
patients during emergencies. Simultaneous response and recovery operations result in a return to
normal or, ideally, improved operations.

Capability 4: Medical Surge

Goal of Capability 4: Health care organizations—including hospitals, EMS, and out-of-hospital
providers—deliver timely and efficient care to their patients even when the demand for health care
services exceeds available supply. The HCC, in collaboration with the ESF-8 lead agency, coordinates
information and available resources for its members to maintain conventional surge response. When an
emergency overwhelms the HCC’s collective resources, the HCC supports the health care delivery
system’s transition to contingency and crisis surge response and promotes a timely return to
conventional standards of care as soon as possible.