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Emergency preparedness for health care facilities

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Readiness templates and resources

Utilize the templates and resources below to ensure your organization has a plan in place for a major emergency in Santa Clara County. Be a member of the Santa Clara Valley Emergency Preparedness Healthcare Coalition (SCVEPHC). Select the relevant template, save it to your computer, and modify it to formulate your organization’s plan.

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

The EOP is a guide detailing procedure for responding to emergencies. It ensures a structured approach, identifies risks, and coordinates with external agencies. Regular training and updates maintain readiness.

Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)

The HVA provides an important tool. Identify hazards that may affect demand for a health care facility’s service or its ability to provide those services. 

Use California Office of Emergency Services webpage to find specific hazards by address. Type in your facility address to learn the risks at that address and what you can do to mitigate those risks.    

Use the Heat and Health Tracker. Explore your community’s heat exposure, related health outcomes, and assets that can protect people during heat events.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Rule

CMS Emergency Services Preparedness Rule helps to:

  • Establish consistent emergency preparedness requirements for healthcare providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid
  • Increase patient safety during emergencies
  • Establish a more coordinated response to natural and human-caused disasters

Hospital and Transplant Center Requirements (hhs.gov)     

Long Term Care Requirements (hhs.gov)

Get in touch

Stay informed about critical updates and health alerts. Sign up for Santa Clara County Health Officer provider health alerts.

Emergency Medical Services Agency Duty Chief and Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator: Available 24 hours a day for urgent medical coordination, operating in a duty chief mode during non-emergency periods.

Reach out for public health-related emergencies or inquiries. Email the Santa Clara County Public Health Emergency Preparedness team at [email protected].

Follow us on Eventbrite for notifications about upcoming coalition events and updates.

Emergency communications:

  • Notify the EMS Duty Chief when an event impacts or threatens your facility. 
  • Connect with the MHOAC to receive direction and updates. 
  • Provide situational information to the MHOAC. 
  • Submit non-medical resource requests to local City EOC. 
  • Submit medical resource requests to the MHOAC.

Maintain services:

  • Utilize Incident Command System (ICS). 
  • Conduct a facility and utility assessment and report the status to the MHOAC.
  • Maintain operations, essential services, and functions. 
  • Continue to provide care to current patients. 
  • Expand operations if possible or if requested by the County. 
  • Implement patient surge strategies/plans. 
  • Ensure patients are treated or triaged to the most appropriate service provider. 
  • If patients need to be evacuated: 
    • Consider moving to another healthcare facility. 
    • Discharge stable patients with instructions. 
  • Provide appropriate training and personal protective measures to protect staff.
  • Credential medical volunteers to work in facility. 
  • Ensure demobilization, recovery and continuity of operation plans are in place.

Mutual aid:

  • Participate in preplanning preparedness activities. 
  • Utilize Memorandum of Understanding or Affiliation Partner Agreements to access limited resources. 
  • Support sister facilities that are impacted by providing services to their patients and clients.

Mission statement

The SCVEPHC facilitates working relationships among health care communities throughout the County. This includes promoting emergency planning across all sections of the health care community. This mission also includes developing deliverable-based projects. The partnership works to identify weaknesses and gaps in the health care community. The partnership makes recommendations to emergency management partners to successfully address these issues.

About us

Local disasters are likely to create a surge of patients and casualties that may overwhelm our health care system. Health care facilities form the SCVEPHC to plan for, test, and implement a coordinated response to an emergency or disaster.  We use the incident command system principles to organize planning and response efforts.  The County Public Health Department and the SCVEPHC link members to local, regional, State, and Federal assistance.

Additional resources
California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF)
Office or the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response: Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE)
California Hospital Association (CHA): Emergency Preparedness 
Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE)