Since 2006, HCPF has been awarded a grant from the New York State Department of Health Office of Health Emergency Preparedness related to helping the home care industry prepare for emergencies. The grant focuses on the following areas:
Coalition Building:
HCPF actively participates in activities aimed at enhancing the integration of home care and hospice agencies into regional emergency preparedness efforts. This includes:
- Representing providers in designated region(s) through participation in quarterly Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition (HEPC) meetings.
- Supplying home care and hospice agencies with relevant information obtained from meetings via email or newsletter.
Interoperable Communications (IOC) Drills/Exercises:
HCPF fosters increased collaboration, cooperation, and communication among home care and hospice providers in IOC drills/exercises for preparedness at both the facility and coalition levels. This involves:
- Distributing OHEP-approved promotional materials and informational messages to home care and hospice providers.
- Conducting pre-drill informational webinars for home care and hospice providers in collaboration with OHEP.
- Participating in IOC after-action processes as needed or requested.
Local Health Department (LHD), County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and Home Care Agency Outreach:
HCPF continues its outreach efforts to LHDs, OEMs, and Home Care/Hospice Agencies to facilitate dialogue regarding agency services and types of patients being served within specific county regions. Activities include:
- Conducting semi-annual conference calls/webinars in regions addressed in past grant years with home care/hospice agencies, LHDs, and OEMs to promote collaboration.
Preparedness Workshop for Non-Acute Healthcare Providers:
HCPF participates in OHEP preparedness workshops for non-acute healthcare providers, offering information, guidance, and resources that can be delivered to non-acute providers via associations to enhance preparedness programs.
Community Resilience – Engage Partners and Providers:
HCPF conducts education, briefings, and/or outreach on priority and timely preparedness activities. It continues to promote and encourage agency participation in OHEP-approved training delivered via Webinar and/or NYSDOH LMS. Support includes:
Providing information and support for the roll-out of Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) training via web-based training or other training opportunities in collaboration with OHEP.
2023 Statewide Coalition Strategy Meeting:
HCPF attends the Statewide Coalition Strategy Planning Meeting, which serves to review, outline, and plan for the overall strategic vision in anticipation of the new five-year cooperative agreement beginning July 1, 2024.