Healthcare system preparedness is the ability of a community’s healthcare system to prepare, respond, and recover from incidents that have a public health and medical impact in the short and long term. The healthcare system role in community preparedness involves coordination with emergency management, public health, mental/behavioral health providers, community and faith-based partners, state, local, and territorial governments to do the following:
Healthcare system preparedness is achieved through a continuous cycle of planning, organizing and equipping, training, exercises, evaluations and corrective actions.
