Hospital Preparedness Program - HPP

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.

HPP Benefits

  • Meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements
  • Enhancing purchasing power
  • 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 2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities reflects goals and objectives that each HCC must achieve by June 30, 2024. These goals are assigned as four HPP capabilities, which were developed based on guidance provided in the 2012 Healthcare Preparedness Capabilities: National Guidance for Healthcare System Preparedness document. They support and cascade from guidance documented in the National Response Framework, National Preparedness Goals, and the National Health Security Strategy to build community health resilience and integrate health care organizations, emergency management organizations, and public health agencies.

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 (Public Health and Medical Services) 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.

 

Joining HPP

To join the Hospital Preparedness Program, Complete the following documents and submit to NCTTRAC_Admin@ncttrac.org.

Documents to Complete:

  • HPP Letter of Agreement
    • 2018 Private Agency HPP  LOA  Form or;
    • 2018 Public Agency HPP LOA Form
  • 2022 HPP LOA Amendment Form
  • 2018 HPP MOS Form

Leaving HPP

To leave the Hospital Preparedness Program, all supplies and equipment that have been provided by the Program must be returned to North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council (NCTTRAC). Once complete, the sign the following document and submit to logistics@ncttrac.org.

Document to Complete:

  • HPP Request for Termination
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