Connecticut Reaffirms Commitment to Addressing the Opioid Crisis During National Recovery Month

In observance of National Preparedness Month, CHA recognizes that Connecticut hospitals and health systems, in collaboration with regional, state, and community partners, are key leaders in local and regional preparedness and disaster response, always ready for any potential natural, man-made, or public health emergency — including severe weather events, infrastructure failures and attacks, mass casualty events, bioterrorism, and seasonal respiratory disease surges.  Connecticut hospitals and health systems demonstrated this readiness throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Guided by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s (ASPR) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), hospitals and health systems are constantly enhancing emergency planning and response.  They achieve this by monitoring, maintaining, and improving:

• Information and database sharing
• Communications systems
• Bed availability and surge capacity tracking
• Hospital evacuation planning
• Pharmaceutical inventories
• Decontamination capabilities
• Coordination with community organizations
• Personnel training and education
• Emergency drills and exercises
• Volunteer management

The federal funds administered by the HPP to hospitals and health systems support the shared mission of delivering coordinated and effective care to victims of public health emergencies.

Click here for more information about the Connecticut Hospital Preparedness Program.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared that this year’s National Preparedness Month theme focuses on empowering Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities to prepare for future risks, hazards, and catastrophes.  FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell reflected, “The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community is a large, diverse group that spans across many cultures, languages, and unique circumstances that must be considered when developing strategies to engage communities on disaster preparedness.”

Click here for information on how to engage Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities during National Preparedness Month.