BLU-MED medical shelter systems set up in a parking lot

Hospitals Seek HPP Grant Funding During the Omicron Surge

January 13, 2022 - by BLU-MED

With omicron’s extreme infectiousness and the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations skyrocketing across the U.S. to record levels – hospitals and staff are struggling to provide the same standard of care for patients. The immense strain is requiring hospitals to enact crisis standards of care and mobilize National Guard members to bolster an overwhelmed and depleted healthcare workforce.

In addition to activating crisis plans, hospitals are seeking additional funding with the help of the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). 

As the only federally funded program focused on enhancing national health security by strengthening emergency response systems, HPP grant funding is intended for increasing health care delivery readiness, saving lives with improved capabilities, and reducing the need for federal and supplemental state resources during emergencies, and enabling rapid recovery.

A key component of HPP is the development of Health Care Coalitions (HCCs). HCCs are a multi-agency coordinating group of individual health care and response organizations in a defined geographic location, aimed at developing and increasing health care delivery system preparedness and response capabilities. These include hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency management organizations, public health agencies, etc. 

Originally developed around eight response capabilities, in 2017 ASPR streamlined the objectives to four capabilities defined in the 2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities (PDF) document.

  1. Foundation for Health Care and Medical Readiness (previously Healthcare System Preparedness)
  2. Health Care and Medical Response Coordination (previously Emergency Operations Coordination and Information Sharing)
  3. Continuity of Health Care Service Delivery (previously Healthcare System Recovery and Responder Safety and Health)
  4. Medical Surge (previously Medical Surge, Volunteer Management, and Fatality Management).

In 2018, nearly $606 million USD was available in HPP funding with the goal of building acute care medical surge capacity through the development of HCCs.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has appropriated emergency supplemental funding to support the urgent preparedness and response needs of hospitals, health systems, and healthcare workers.

Whether part of an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), an Incident Action Plan (IAP), or an HCC Response Plan to prevent crisis standards of care or implement alternate care sites during emergency situations, healthcare organizations need rapidly deployable, temperature-controlled and military-grade hospital surge tents, medical tents with negative pressure rooms for infectious diseases, or field hospitals should contact BLU-MED Response Systems® (BLU-MED).

Medical shelter systems from BLU-MED are stored in reusable containers for easy transport to alternate care sites, can be fully operational in less than 30 minutes, provide a safe and clean space where advanced-level medical care can be administered, are a relocatable and scalable solution to adjust to changing needs, and have a proven track record of supporting hospitals and health care agencies throughout the COVID pandemic as well as many past disasters and emergencies.

BLU-MED Response Systems, was formed in 2004 as a division of Alaska Defense™ – the military division of AKS Industries, Inc. Our shelters have undergone extensive tests and have been deployed in over 85 countries with more than 28,000 Alaska Military Shelters being installed worldwide.

Contact us today if your hospital or health care agency is needing a quote to submit for HPP funding using the information below:

Email: inforeq@blu-med.com 

Web: Complete our online contact form