Pennsylvania health systems, hospitals, long term and acute care facilities and community health clinics are essential in public health and medical emergency response. Every entity that works in or with the health care system is continuously working to improve their capacity to plan for and respond to large-scale emergencies and disasters.
Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Healthcare Emergency Management network supports regional collaboration and health care preparedness and response by encouraging the development and sustainment of health care coalitions (HCCs). These coalitions incentivize often competitive health care organizations with differing priorities and objectives to work together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all types of threats and emergencies. Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) funding supports trainings and exercises that prepare HCC members to handle real emergencies.
As the only source of federal funding for health care system readiness, HPP improves patient outcomes, minimizes the need for federal and supplemental state resources during large-scale emergencies, and enables rapid recovery.
About PHMC's Emergency Management Team
PHMC’s Emergency Management staff support Pennsylvania’s hospitals and health care facilities as well as regional health care coalitions’ preparedness activities as they train, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
When a disaster impacts a state, region, or community, the health care system plays a crucial first responder role. From large hospitals to smaller community health centers, these entities work with emergency professionals, law enforcement, and state and federal agencies to address immediate needs and to deal with longer term recovery. Disasters may include, but are not limited to:
- Natural disasters such as floods, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes
- Mass casualty incidents include multiple vehicle accidents, train accidents, active shooter incidents
- Environmental accidents such as chemical fires and spills
- Acts of domestic and foreign terrorism
- Public health threats such as the COVID-19 pandemics
Often, health care and emergency personnel, as well as volunteers, are responding to life-threatening situations. They drill and train to make immediate situational assessments and practice critical decision-making to protect the public.
PHMC and DOH Partner to Improve Emergency Response in Pennsylvania
A partnership between Public Health Management Corporation and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) support the network of healthcare coalitions across the Commonwealth.
The coalition is a PADOH-initiated partnership with PHMC that exists to refine, enhance, and test individual health care facility preparedness activities and response plans. The partnership is a regional approach to health care preparedness and works with the existing seven regional task force health and medical structures.
Regional healthcare coalitions provide information via regional websites.
For information or inquiries please contact:
Jason Brown, Director of Healthcare Emergency Management
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717.395.1599
Website addresses for each of the coalitions are provided below:
Northern Tier Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, Warren
Regional website: Northern Tier Healthcare Coalition
Healthcare Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland
Regional website: Healthcare Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Keystone Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Adams, Bedford, Blair, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder, York
Regional website: Keystone Healthcare Coalition
Southeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia
Regional website: Southeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Coalition
Northeast Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne
Regional website: Northeast Healthcare Coalition
East Central Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Berks, Columbia, Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Wyoming
Regional website: East Central Healthcare Coalition
North Central Healthcare Coalition
Counties: Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga, Union
Regional website: North Central Healthcare Coalition
