HHS Grants Fund Hospital Preparedness

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded grants totaling $390.5 million to all states, territories and four major metropolitan areas to improve medical surge capability in the event of an emergency.

Metropolitan areas receiving a share of the 2010 Hospital Preparedness grants are New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles County and Washington, D.C. The grants for all recipients can be used for:

* interoperable information systems;

* systems to track available hospital beds;

* advance registration of volunteer health professionals;

* processes for hospital evacuations or sheltering-in-place;

* processes for fatality management;

* strengthening community level partnerships; and

* hospital participation in regional and statewide exercises.

For a list of grant recipients, click here.

--Joseph Goedert