The EPREP Program is collaborating with Regions 1, 7, and 8 in the Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS) demonstration project. The RDHRS exists to develop innovative mechanisms that link experts in healthcare disaster response with other key healthcare, governmental, and community partners and stakeholders to improve coordination of planning and response activities and support optimal patient care during disasters. The EPREP work began by collaborating with Region 1 and has since expanded to include Region 7 and Region 8.
The EPREP Program is leading the development of evaluation metrics to be used to assess the “response readiness” of healthcare coalitions, states, and regions; as well as the development of guidelines for building and sustaining RDHRS Partnerships that can be used to assist in the establishment of future RDHRS sites in other states and regions.