Partnerships

The Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response has actively sought out a diverse group of public and private partners from across Connecticut, the nation and the world and has pooled their expertise to identify and resolve challenges related to terrorism and public health emergency preparedness.

• Local and regional health care delivery facilities
• Academic institutions
• Connecticut partners
• NEPHERET
• National partners
• International relationships

Local and regional health care delivery facilities

In collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH), the Center has developed and delivered programs and services for health care delivery facilities on a wide variety of topics such as education and training, laboratory testing, stockpiling and surge capacity.

Health care delivery facilities in Connecticut include 32 acute care hospitals, 82 community health centers, 180 emergency medical services organizations, 66 home health agencies, 106 skilled nursing facilities, 22 urgent care centers and community physician practices and 7000 community medical practitioners. In collaboration with the Hartford Hospital Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, the Center has provided these facilities with emergency preparedness needs assessments and analysis, education and training, clinical expertise and capacity building initiatives.

The Center provides guidance to these organizations on emergency planning and preparedness to ensure that their planning processes fully integrate with local, state and federal emergency response plans. Building partnerships and communication links with public health, public safety and local government is critical to developing and sustaining the coordinated regional response that will be required during a large-scale disaster event.

The Center has developed other partnerships with the following organizations and agencies for planning and response capacity building:

• Law enforcement (police, FBI)
• Local public health
• Mental health agencies
• Other agencies (transportation, pharmacies, medical supply
  distributors, et al. )
• Public safety (fire, emergency management)

Academic institutions

Working with the following academic institutions, the Center has adapted or developed competency-based education and training, evidence-based clinical protocols and innovative capacity building programs for emergency preparedness and disaster response.

• Yale University, School of Medicine
• Yale University, School of Public Health
• University of Connecticut, Homeland Security Education Center
• Texas A&M University Center for Medical Aspects of Biodefense
• Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Dartmouth Medical School Northern New England MMRS
• Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
• University of Texas Health Science Center, Center for Biosecurity and Public Health
• St. Louis University Institute for Bio-Security
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Connecticut partners

The Center works with public and private agencies at the state level to develop, enhance and/or disseminate its programs and services in education and training, capacity building, clinical expertise, emergency planning and communications.

Government agencies
The Center works with state of Connecticut agencies to present the needs, concerns and capabilities of Connecticut's health care delivery infrastructure to those involved in state emergency preparedness processes. Designated as a State of Connecticut Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, the Center has participated in multiple joint emergency preparedness initiatives with:

• Conn. Department of Public Health (CT DPH)
• Conn. Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
• Conn. Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
• Conn. Office of Policy and Management

Nongovernmental organizations
The Center partners with professional health care organizations within Connecticut that represent health care delivery disciplines and facilities in order to foster coordinated initiatives and best practice ideas in regional planning, capacity building, clinical and emergency management expertise and consultation and education and training. These partners include:

• Conn. Area Health Education Centers
• Conn. Association for Health Facilities
• Conn. Association for Home Care
• Conn. Association for Not-for-Profit Providers for the Aging
• Conn. Association of Directors of Health
• Conn. Association of Medical Staff Services
• Conn. Hospital Association
• Conn. Nurses' Association
• Conn. Partnership for Public Health Workforce Development
• Conn. Primary Care Association
• Conn. Society of Health-System Pharmacists
• Conn. Society of Radiologic Technologists
• Conn. Society for Respiratory Care
• Conn. State Medical Society

NEPHERET

The New England Partnership for Healthcare Emergency Response Education and Training (NEPHERET) was formed in 2005 to coordinate consistent, competency-based, capacity building emergency preparedness and disaster response education and training in the New England region.

NEPHERET provides cross-jurisdictional, cross-disciplinary education and training programs that can be readily adapted to address the specific needs of varied organizations and jurisdictions. Its education and training programs, delivery approach and evaluation models can be replicated elsewhere throughout the nation, supporting an integrated, national healthcare education and training strategy.

The NEPHERET approach is consistent with the National Preparedness Goal and directly supports five of its seven priorities. The national priorities are:

• Implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP)
• Expand regional collaboration
• Strengthen information sharing and collaboration capabilities
• Strengthen CBRN detection, response and decontamination capabilities
• Strengthen medical surge and mass prophylaxis capabilities

NEPHERET partners are providing statewide leadership to healthcare workers and facilities in the provision of emergency preparedness education and training that will better prepare New England's healthcare delivery system, and that of the nation, to effectively respond to a disaster.

NEPHERET is led by the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response with participation from partners in each of the New England states. Partners include Baystate Health System, Caritas Christi Healthcare System, New Hampshire Department of Health, New Hampshire Hospital Association, Rhode Island State Department of Public Health, Rhode Island Health Center Association, Rhode Island Hospital Association, Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Hospital Association and the New England Center for Emergency Preparedness at Dartmouth.

• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• Maine

National partners

The Center collaborates with public and private agencies around the country that are engaged in emergency preparedness and disaster response programs in education and training, capacity building and regional planning.

Nongovernmental organization
The Center collaborates with national organizations engaged in establishing standards for healthcare delivery and for healthcare education and training. The Center provides insight into healthcare emergency preparedness and disaster response activities.

• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
• American Medical Association

Other states
The Center partners with other states to share education and training and regional planning initiatives.

• Maryland Department of Public Health (Office of Emergency Preparedness & Response)
• New Jersey Department of Health (member of the Tri-State Metro Bioterrorism Work Group)
• New York State Department of Health (member of the Tri-State Metro Bioterrorism Work Group)
• Rhode Island Department of Health
• Vermont Department of Health (curricula for Vermont health care organizations)

Federal agencies

The Center works with a number of federal agencies and organizations to enhance and disseminate its programs and services in education and training and capacity building.

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Education and training)
• Department of Homeland Security
• Health Resources and Services Administration (national demonstration partner for the health care delivery workforce in emergency preparedness education and training)
• NORAD/USNORTHCOM (Department of Defense)
  The Center is a national member of the Homeland Security/Defense Education Consortium, which promotes and facilitates homeland security-related education program development and research and evaluation.
• Office of the Surgeon General
• Medical Reserve Corps
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention

International relationships

The Center has relationships with international organizations engaged in emergency preparedness and disaster response education and training, capacity building and regional planning.

• Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
  Partnering with PAHO/WHO to obtain designation as a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center focused on development of joint activities that will utilize and adapt the Center's emergency preparedness and disaster response programs for use throughout this hemisphere.
• World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
• European Master in Disaster Medicine program
  An affiliated institution collaborating on the European Master in Disaster Medicine program based at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara, Italy, and the Free University of Brussels. This is an international coalition to provide disaster management education and training to medical students around the globe. The program is classroom- and e-learning-based and is supported by the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross and several European disaster medicine organizations. The University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara validates and provides the e-learning environment through its own spin-off "InfoLearning S.r.l.,” a dedicated facility.
• New Zealand
  Collaborated on modifying its emergency management curricula for New Zealand health care organizations.
• Barbados, Turkey and Korea
  Conducted Advanced Disaster Life Support Instructor programs for physicians and other health care personnel.

Contact us

Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response
1 Church Street, 5th Floor
New Haven, CT 06510
Telephone: (203) 688-3224
Fax: (203) 688-4618
E-mail: center@ynhh.org