HHS Awards Public Health Preparedness Grants
More than $971 million in Hospital Preparedness Program and Public Health Emergency Preparedness grants are included in the 2012 cycle.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $971 million to help health care and public health systems nationwide prepare for a range of public health threats. For the first time, the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) funds were awarded jointly in a bid to encourage cooperation between the nation’s health care and public health systems.
This change follows a year-long effort by CDC and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to align these two federal preparedness programs.
"Health care and public health systems that are prepared to respond successfully to emergencies and recover quickly from all hazards are also able to deliver services more effectively and efficiently every day," said Dr. Nicole Lurie, HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response. "Having systems in place to provide better treatment for disaster survivors and improved public health for our communities also leads to better health outcomes on a day-to-day basis."
The HHP awards totaled $352 million and the PHEP awards more than $619 million.
"State and local agencies have made tremendous progress over the past decade in building and sustaining public health and health care preparedness capabilities," Lurie said. "The integration fostered by HPP and PHEP alignment is important in streamlining and strengthening the day-to-day relationships and cross-sector cooperation that are critical to achieving a resilient health system ready to face any health hazard and capable of providing the affordable, high-quality, daily care that all Americans deserve."
The annual HPP-PHEP grant cycle begins each July 1 and ends June 30 of the following year. For more information, including grant awards to individual states, territories, or localities, visit this site.