HHS awards over $840 million to aid public health preparedness efforts

The HHS has awarded $228.5 million to the Hospital Preparedness Program and $611 million to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, which will go toward improving and maintaining emergency preparedness among state and local health departments, according to a press release.

“Protecting health from the impacts of emergencies – whether it’s a disease outbreak or a natural disaster – requires constant, continuous vigilance. States and communities leverage our program every day to enhance community resilience and protect the nation’s health security,” Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response (ASPR), said in the release.

Resources provided through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program and the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) safeguard communities and ensure they are prepared for infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters and chemical, biological or radiological nuclear events, according to the release.

Funds allocated through the HPP, which are administered by the ASPR, go toward the development and expansion of emergency preparedness efforts through local health care coalitions. These collaborative teams, which can include hospitals, emergency medical service providers, emergency management associations, long-term care facilities, behavioral health organizations, public health agencies and other public and private health sectors, help ensure that patients can receive the necessary care they need in emergency situations, according to the release.

The CDC administers the funding for PHEP, which goes toward state and local health department development of emergency-ready public health departments that can flexible and adaptable, according to the release.

The HHS believes that by awarding funds jointly between the HPP and PHEP, it will encourage more collaborative efforts between the public health and health care systems. Combing efforts allows for efficient planning, which can help areas better prepare for the added burden emergency situations put on the health care system.

“The aligned HPP and PHEP cooperative agreements encourage state and local public health departments to work collaboratively with federal health and preparedness programs in their jurisdictions to maximize resources and prevent duplicative efforts. Such coordination of activities with emergency management and homeland security programs support ‘whole community’ planning to improve national preparedness efforts,” the release states.