Selected Health Care Coalitions Increased Involvement in Whole Community Preparedness But Face Developmental Challenges Following New Requirements in 2017

Health care coalitions (HCCs) help prepare their community health care systems to respond to public health emergencies, such as natural disasters. HCCs are member-led and are composed of health care entities and other response entities that voluntarily work together to coordinate an emergency response. ASPR supports HCCs through the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). The HPP funds awardees (e.g., States) to create HCCs, oversee HCCs, and fund HCC activities. In 2017, the HPP required HCCs to include four core member types (hospitals, public health, emergency medical services, and emergency management) and other diverse, ancillary member types (e.g., long-term-care facilities, home health agencies) that are critical to addressing the unique preparedness needs of HCCs' respective communities. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) suggested that health care entities join HCCs as one way to meet Medicare's emergency preparedness Conditions of Participation, with which CMS required compliance starting November 2017.