Emergency Preparedness State Coalitions
Kentucky is divided into eight Emergency Preparedness Coalition regions: West KY, HERA, HEART, HELP, Bluegrass HCC, Northern KY, Eastern KY, and Southeast KY. Please see below for details and contact information for each region.
Emergency Preparedness Coalition Area Map
Coalition Directors
Bluegrass Healthcare Coalition
In 1999, Fayette County formed the Healthcare Emergency Planning Committee (HCEPC) to coordinate the county-wide health and medical response to emergencies / disasters. The focus of the group was to address “all hazards”, not just WMD concerns. From the beginning, it was recognized that the goals of the Coalition had to include the integration of emergency plans and the coordination of training, exercises, and equipment across health and medical organizations.
The coalition consisted primarily of representatives from Emergency Management, Fire / EMS, Public Health, and Lexington-area hospitals. The HCEPC proved to be a very effective coordination tool, and the improved integration of first responders, healthcare, public health and emergency management personnel greatly enhanced the readiness of all involved to respond to disasters.
Initial funding of the coalition came through the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) and was intended for Fayette County entities only. In 2005 the MMRS group expanded to include the 9 contiguous counties. The additional 8 counties were added In 2013 to align with the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) preparedness programs and the Lexington MMRS. Eventually MMRS funding went through program changes under Health and Human Services (HHS). The HPP program was realigned under HHS through the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The main source of coalition funding came through the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative agreement. This was awarded to Kentucky Department for Public Health and coalition were identified as sub-awardees.
An agreement was arranged with the Fayette County Health Department to support a fulltime preparedness planner that could share responsibilities as the health department planner while service as the coalition coordinator. Upon the partnership with KDPH the coalition was deemed as Region 13/14 Health Care Emergency Planning Coalition and later to be known as Region 15 to align with the Public Health Emergency Planning (PHEP) regions.
In 2017 there was push to realign healthcare coalitions across the Commonwealth to support the need for additional funding. The coalition went through another name change to be known as HPP Region 5. In 2019 the coalition decided to discontinue the region number designation and adopted the official name as the Bluegrass Healthcare Coalition.
The Bluegrass Healthcare Coalition includes 17 Counties in central Kentucky. A main portion of membership encompasses 22 Acute Care Hospitals, 9 EMS agencies, 5 Emergency Management agencies, 14 Public Health Departments, 2 Behavioral Health organizations, 55 Long Term Care facilities, 2 Medical Response programs and the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program. The coalition also includes members from Dialysis Clinics, Blood Centers, Outpatient Surgical Centers, Behavioral Health Service Centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Preparedness Coalition
The Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Preparedness Coalition meets to discuss and develop an all-hazards approach to emergencies. These disaster situations may include tornadoes, floods, power outages, pandemic flu, chemical attack and/or spills, and other national or regional events that affect healthcare organizations’ operations, including hospitals and nursing facilities. EKHPC members include regional and local emergency managers, hospital management, health planners, and representatives from mental health, long-term care, emergency medical services, Veterans Administration, and fire service, among others.
Healthcare Emergency Area 4 Resource Team (HEART)
The HEART Coalition is a collaborative network of healthcare organizations and their respective public and private sector response partners working together to promote and enhance the well-being of the region’s communities health care system through coordinated disaster preparedness education, public information, response and recovery activities, and sharing of resources.
Healthcare Emergency Leaders for Preparedness (HELP)
The Region HELP Healthcare Coalition (HCC) consists of representatives from the ESF 8 and emergency response community. These partners come together to form a collaborative preparedness planning group that provides integration, coordination and organization for the purpose of regional healthcare preparedness activities and response coordination.
- Download Brochure (PDF)
Readiness and Response Coordinator
Peggy Acey
Peggy.Acey@ky.gov
Healthcare Emergency Response & Advisory (HERA) Coalition
- Download Brochure (PDF)
Northern Kentucky Healthcare Planning Coalition (NKHPC)
The Northern Kentucky Healthcare Planning Coalition (NKHPC) encompasses nine counties of Northern Kentucky including Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties making up the service area of the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department; Carroll, Gallatin, Owen, and Pendleton counties making up the service area of the Three Rivers District Health Department; and Bracken County making up the service area of Bracken County Health Department. There are nine hospitals located in the NKHPC area. The mission of the NKHPC is to support the regional healthcare community and other response agencies to jointly plan for and respond to man-made or natural emergencies by promoting intra-regional cooperation and sharing of resources during preparedness, response, and recovery phases.
The purpose of the NKHPC is to promote and coordinate emergency preparedness efforts of the coalition member organizations based on the deliverables from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH); Serve as the vehicle to receive and disperse grant funding to the NKHPC member organizations for healthcare preparedness efforts; foster communications and information sharing between local, regional, and state entities during the preparedness, response, and recovery phases; and coordinate training, exercises, and evaluations to assist healthcare personnel develop and maintain the necessary capabilities and skills for an effective response.
Coalition meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis, starting in January, and are scheduled at 2:00 PM on the third Thursdays of applicable months.
Southeast Kentucky Healthcare Coalition
The Southeast Kentucky Healthcare Coalition (SEKY HCC) covers the eight counties of Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle, and Whitley counties in the Cumberland Valley ADD area.
The Coalition meets bi-monthly, and seeks to coordinate preparedness and response activities, training, response efforts and resources of regional Southeast Kentucky Healthcare Coalition members. Improving response capabilities for disaster events is at the center of the Coalition’s mission.
West Kentucky Healthcare Coalition
The West Kentucky Healthcare Coalition’s mission is to help cultivate cooperative partnerships in order to develop and ascertain regional healthcare system preparedness plans, protocols, and resources that will enhance the ability of the region to better respond and recover from emergencies and disasters. The WKYHCC primary function is to build stronger relationships with healthcare organizations and emergency response agencies in the region by participating in joint planning and exercise activities. We offer and host trainings needed to improve regional capabilities and to continue to provide education for key preparedness and response personnel in the 24 counties of far west Kentucky.
- Download Brochure (PDF)
