Over $840 million awarded for public health emergencies

$840 million in federal funds has been awarded to continue improving emergency preparedness of state and local public health and health care systems. These systems are vital to protecting health and saving lives during a disaster.

“Community and state preparedness is essential to the health security of all Americans,” said Nicole Lurie, M.D., assistant secretary for preparedness and response. “Events in the last few years have demonstrated how critical it is for health systems across the country to be ready and able to respond quickly and effectively.”

The grant funds are distributed through two federal preparedness programs – the Hospital Preparedness Program and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness programs. These programs represent critical sources of funding and support for the nation’s health care and public health systems. The programs provide resources to ensure that local communities can respond effectively to infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or chemical, biological, or radiological nuclear events.

The fiscal year 2014 funding awards include a total of $228.5 million for HPP and $611.75 million for PHEP.

Administered by ASPR, HPP funding supports building sustainable community health care coalitions that collaborate on emergency planning and, during disasters share resources and partner to meet the health and medical needs of their community.

Administered by CDC, PHEP funding is used to advance public health preparedness and response capabilities at the state and local level.

HPP and PHEP funding helps recipients build and sustain public health and health care preparedness capabilities outlined in ASPR’sHealthcare Preparedness Capabilities: National Guidance for Healthcare System Preparednessand CDC’sPublic Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning.

This marks the third year that HPP and PHEP funds are being awarded jointly, encouraging further cooperation between the nation’s health care and public health systems, and reducing the administrative burden on grantees.

The HPP and PHEP were re-authorized in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2013. To learn more about HPP and PHEP including grant awards to individual states, territories or localities, visithttp://www.cdc.gov/phpr/coopagreement.htm.