• GNYHA Foundation received a one-year grant in collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop a regional plan that would help coordinate various healthcare delivery resources during a pandemic. GNYHA staff addressed how essential medical services will be 1) defined, 2) maintained for persons with chronic medical problems, and 3) coordinated by hospitals, continuing care agencies and ambulatory care centers during an influenza pandemic or other major communicable disease emergency. Furthermore, the plan outlined potential ethical ramifications of changes in medical care delivery and proposed communication strategies to alert the public to these changes. This project was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• The GNYHA Foundation received funding from Health Research, Inc. and the Fund for Public Health in New York to enhance hospitals’ preparedness for bioterrorism emergencies. Among the activities supported under the grant: GNYHA conducted drills of the New York State Department of Health Emergency Response Data System (HERDS); GNYHA member hospitals participated in drills simulating mass casualties throughout the New York City metropolitan area; and GNYHA assessed training needs for hospitals in New York State, particularly around readiness for mass smallpox vaccination clinics. These training resources are available on the GNYHA website. Click here to access these resources.

For more information on Emergency Preparedness, please visit the GNYHA Emergency Preparedness Resource Center.