|
September 26, 2007 — A new partnership between the Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) advances the readiness of the state’s health care providers responding to public health incidents. This year the public/private partnership will distribute more than $2 million in federal funds to Oregon hospitals and health care systems to advance responses in the event of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
The money comes from the Hospital Preparedness Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Hospital preparedness has come a long way in the last five years with our regional hospital lead agencies and coordinators,” said Jere High, health care systems manager, Oregon Public Health Division. “We are now adding a great partnership with the hospital association so together we can take hospital preparedness to the next level."
The money buys authorized goods or services to help implement a statewide hospital preparedness program and regional surge preparedness plans.
Current program priority areas include interoperable communication systems, bed tracking, personnel management, fatality management planning and hospital evacuation planning. During the past five years, improvements include bed and personnel surge capacity, decontamination capabilities, isolation capacity, pharmaceutical supplies, training, education, drills and exercises.
|
