GRANTS & INITIATIVES
HHS Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Grant
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Grant is a federal source of funding provided to all states to assist hospitals and healthcare systems with further advancing their readiness status for any type of disaster that may impact communities. The Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees and awards the HPP Grant. In Louisiana, the LHA Foundation assists and supports the state with distributing this federal award. In small and large-scale disasters where the health of citizens may be impacted and the medical infrastructure is overwhelmed, having resources and a network that is tested through plans, exercises and training to respond is most valuable.
Since 2002, the HHS HPP Grant has provided funding to hospitals and the network of regional coalitions across the state. The Foundation takes a leading role in administering the awarded grant funds to hospital and EMS providers across the state. The HPP grant has allowed hospitals to equip themselves with resources to increase patient surge capacity, personal protective equipment for pan-flu response, communications assets, and exercise and training materials for planning, among various other items. The regions and state have also benefited from the HHS grant funds by providing hospitals and associated healthcare coalitions with exercises, trainings, and communications response support during real events.
ESF-8: Health & Medical Response
The LHA works with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) as part of a network that supports Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF-8) preparedness and response activities. With nine regional coalitions and one state-level coalition, this network actively engages in planning activities and response during regional events and state activations. The regional coalition leaders, known as Designated Regional Coordinators (DRC), are instrumental in maintaining relationships with hospital coalition members, local leaders, and other valuable response agencies. Their role within the communities in which they serve allows for effective communications supporting regional health and medical response efforts.
EMS COVID-19 Supplemental Grant
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Congress has appropriated emergency supplemental funding to support the urgent preparedness and response needs of hospitals, health systems and healthcare workers on the front line of this pandemic. HHS has awarded supplemental HPP Grant funds to assist healthcare providers in these ongoing efforts. Recognizing the value of the EMS community, Louisiana has opted to provide additional funding to assist with the preparedness efforts of EMS providers as first-responders and medical transport agencies.