Hospital Preparedness Program

Mission

To create and promote a state of readiness and prompt response to protect Rhode Island's healthcare system during an emergency.

Accomplishments

• H1N1 vaccination of 22,727 healthcare workers and first responders
• Interoperable communication testing and upgrades 
• Critical Staff Transport Plan development and approval
• Patient Tracking System development as part of the Public Health Emergency Management Suite (PHEMS)
• Healthcare Service Region (HSR) coalition building

What We Do

The Hospital Preparedness Program maintains and improves the health system capacity and capability to respond to all hazards involving any of Rhode Island’s 15 hospitals, 12 health centers, and 92 nursing homes.

Key Focus Areas

Current program priority areas include:

• interoperable communication systems
• bed tracking
• personnel management
• fatality management planning
• healthcare facility evacuation planning
• patient decontamination
• special needs/long-term care emergency preparedness

The Hospital Preparedness Program promotes health system and community all-hazards preparedness through education, financial assistance, and training while integrating statewide preparedness activities at the facility level. Funding and guidance for this initiative are provided by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response/Hospital Preparedness Program.