The development and sustainment of Health Care Coalitions (HCCs) is a federal initiative and a requirement of the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement funded by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The purpose of HCCs is to ensure that local providers and other healthcare partners plan collaboratively for the risks facing the healthcare community and identify available local resources.

Our role as the regional coordinator is to promote area-wide coordination and related cooperative activities of federal, state, and local governments, which also includes a multi-agency coordinating group to assist with preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities. Our stakeholders include public safety agencies, emergency response personnel, municipalities and public health centers, and even amateur radio networks.

In an effort to facilitate better localized planning amongst health care partners, the State of Florida is segmented by seven regional Coalitions led under the direction of the Florida Department of Health. Within Region 3, there are three Coalitions that span an 18-county region consisting of a mix of urban and rural communities: Northeast Florida Health Care Coalition, North Central Florida Health Care Coalition, and the Coalition for Health and Medical Preparedness (CHAMP). Each of the Coalitions are delineated by county lines and aligns with member ESF 8 or comparable health and medical branch system(s).

• The Coalition augments local operational readiness to meet the health and medical challenges posed by a catastrophic incident or event.

• The Coalition is intended as a vehicle to coordinate and maintain current hospital preparedness levels while enhancing disaster preparedness and resiliency in other portions of the healthcare system.

• The Coalition is NOT designed nor intended to be a disaster response organization. Disaster response activities are managed through existing ESF 8 structures within local jurisdictions as defined in county Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans (CEMP).