More than 76 percent of hospitals participating in the National Hospital Preparedness Program fulfilled at least 90 percent of measures for all-hazards preparedness in 2009, according to an HHS news release.
HHS established HPP in 2002 as the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program to enhance hospitals' ability to respond to a biological attack by increasing stockpiles of equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals that would not have been purchased by financially strained institutions without the program. The program has since evolved to support preparedness for all hazards.
According to the news release, hospitals meeting preparedness performance measures have interoperable systems in place to communicate with hospitals, public health agencies and emergency managers. These hospitals can report the number of available beds to a state, territory or city emergency operations center within 60 minutes of a request during a disaster. Hospitals also have plans to handle a surge in demand for hospital services, hospital evacuation and sheltering patients and staff in place during a disaster.
Participating hospitals also use HPP funding to purchase emergency equipment, such as mobile medical units and back-up generators. The report suggests that participants also focus on building coalitions within communities so that hospitals, government agencies, nongovernment organizations, businesses and community residents work as a team to prepare for and respond to disasters.
Read the HHS news release about the National Hospital Preparedness Program.
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HHS established HPP in 2002 as the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program to enhance hospitals' ability to respond to a biological attack by increasing stockpiles of equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals that would not have been purchased by financially strained institutions without the program. The program has since evolved to support preparedness for all hazards.
According to the news release, hospitals meeting preparedness performance measures have interoperable systems in place to communicate with hospitals, public health agencies and emergency managers. These hospitals can report the number of available beds to a state, territory or city emergency operations center within 60 minutes of a request during a disaster. Hospitals also have plans to handle a surge in demand for hospital services, hospital evacuation and sheltering patients and staff in place during a disaster.
Participating hospitals also use HPP funding to purchase emergency equipment, such as mobile medical units and back-up generators. The report suggests that participants also focus on building coalitions within communities so that hospitals, government agencies, nongovernment organizations, businesses and community residents work as a team to prepare for and respond to disasters.
Read the HHS news release about the National Hospital Preparedness Program.
Related Articles on HHS:
HHS Inspector General: Security Concerns Abound in Rush to Deploy EHRs
HHS Releases New Interactive Video to Prevent HAIs
HHS Head: Payment Board Preferable to GOP Medicare Revamp