Opportunity Information: Apply for EP HIT 20 002
The Partnership for Disaster Health Response is a cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to strengthen how patients are managed and moved through the healthcare system during disasters. The opportunity centers on developing and maturing a Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS), which is meant to close persistent gaps in coordinated clinical care when emergencies overwhelm normal healthcare operations. Rather than replacing day-to-day referral networks, the RDHRS concept is designed for the moment when routine systems break down under catastrophic demand and the response requires large-scale redistribution of patients, rapid importation of resources, or the use of crisis-oriented resource guidance.
The grant focuses on three core goals. First, it aims to improve two-way communication and situational awareness so healthcare organizations and government partners at the local, state, regional, and federal levels can share timely, actionable information about clinical needs, capacity, and evolving conditions. Second, it seeks to better leverage and expand access to highly specialized clinical capabilities that are essential in unusual hazards or rare but high-impact events, such as pediatric critical care, trauma and burn expertise, infectious disease support, and other specialty services that may not be readily available across all communities. Third, it is intended to strengthen “horizontal” integration across the whole community of response stakeholders already connected through healthcare coalitions, while also adding “vertical” integration that links coalitions to expert clinical assets that are often missing or not fully embedded in current coalition structures, such as trauma centers, pediatric centers, and poison control centers.
Structurally, RDHRS is described as a tiered system that builds on the Medical Surge Capacity and Capability (MSCC) foundation and existing local response elements, including trauma systems and healthcare coalitions. The emphasis is on improving coordination mechanisms and adding specific clinical and administrative capabilities at the state and regional levels. Across all tiers, the work is meant to optimize clinical surge capacity, embed clinical expertise into surge planning, and ensure specialists have a defined, empowered role in emergency planning and response decision-making.
At the state level, the opportunity highlights several practical outcomes: stronger real-time awareness of healthcare system capacity and capability, clearer mechanisms to coordinate and prioritize patient transfers, defined processes and policies for managing scarce resources, and reliable access to clinical specialists in high-need domains like pediatrics, trauma/burn care, and infectious disease. These improvements are intended to help a state manage crises within its borders more effectively and to better support other states when interstate assistance is needed.
At the multi-state regional level, the RDHRS approach is intended to create workable mechanisms for sharing clinical expertise and coordinating care for low-probability, high-risk threats, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. A major theme is patient movement and care coordination across jurisdictional boundaries, which is often one of the hardest challenges in large-scale events. The system is also expected to align with and draw on established national and specialty networks, such as the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center for biological threats, the Radiation Injury Treatment Network for radiation events, and existing trauma-system infrastructure for mass casualty incidents.
This specific Notice of Funding Opportunity does not attempt to stand up the entire national RDHRS at once. Instead, it funds a single demonstration site meant to advance the nationwide vision by identifying implementation issues, developing best practices, and showing whether the model is effective and sustainable. The funded partnership is expected to concentrate on building and strengthening the relationships and operational pathways needed to expand surge capacity quickly, coordinate patient and resource movement, and rapidly bring in the right clinical specialists during a disaster. The work builds on lessons from two earlier demonstration sites launched in 2018 and is meant to enhance readiness for both smaller emergencies and large, complex disasters.
Eligibility is aimed primarily at state governments (with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice). ASPR plans to fund one partnership that brings together required members consistent with statutory requirements under Section 319C-2(b)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act. Applicants are expected to propose a governance model that can coordinate healthcare assets statewide while also being positioned to share information and medical assets with other states in the same HHS region. The program is framed as complementary to existing Health Care Preparedness and Response capabilities, but with a more explicit focus on clinical coordination during disaster response.
Key administrative details include: Funding Opportunity Number EP HIT 20 002, CFDA 93.817, activity category Disaster Prevention and Relief, and funding instrument Cooperative Agreement. The award ceiling is $3,000,000, with one expected award. The opportunity was posted August 12, 2020, with an original application deadline of September 11, 2020.Apply for EP HIT 20 002
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the disaster prevention and relief sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership for Disaster Health Response" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.817.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 11, 2020 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Partnership for Disaster Health Response?
The Partnership for Disaster Health Response is a cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Its purpose is to strengthen how patients are managed and moved through the healthcare system during disasters, especially when normal healthcare operations are overwhelmed.
What is the main focus of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity centers on developing and maturing a Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS). The RDHRS concept is intended to address persistent gaps in coordinated clinical care when emergencies create catastrophic demand and routine systems no longer work effectively.
What problem is RDHRS designed to solve?
RDHRS is designed for situations where day-to-day referral networks and routine coordination mechanisms break down under extreme conditions. In these moments, the response may require large-scale redistribution of patients, rapid importation of resources, and the use of crisis-oriented resource guidance.
Does RDHRS replace normal healthcare referral networks?
No. RDHRS is described as a system meant for the moment when routine healthcare coordination systems fail under catastrophic demand. It is not intended to replace day-to-day referral networks.
What are the three core goals of the grant?
The grant focuses on three core goals:
- Improving two-way communication and situational awareness across healthcare organizations and government partners at local, state, regional, and federal levels.
- Better leveraging and expanding access to specialized clinical capabilities needed for unusual hazards or rare but high-impact events (for example, pediatric critical care, trauma and burn expertise, and infectious disease support).
- Strengthening horizontal integration across existing response stakeholders (such as those connected through healthcare coalitions) and adding vertical integration that links coalitions with expert clinical assets often missing or not fully embedded in current coalition structures.
What does "two-way communication and situational awareness" mean in this program?
In this context, it means enabling healthcare organizations and government partners to share timely and actionable information. This includes sharing clinical needs, available capacity, capability, and changing conditions so decisions can be made quickly during a disaster.
What kinds of specialized clinical capabilities are emphasized?
The opportunity highlights specialized capabilities that may not be widely available in every community but become essential during major events. Examples mentioned include pediatric critical care, trauma and burn expertise, infectious disease support, and other specialty services needed for unusual hazards or high-impact incidents.
What is meant by "horizontal integration" in RDHRS?
Horizontal integration refers to strengthening coordination across the broader community of response stakeholders that are already connected through healthcare coalitions. The aim is to improve how these partners work together during emergencies.
What is meant by "vertical integration" in RDHRS?
Vertical integration refers to linking healthcare coalitions with expert clinical assets that are often not fully embedded in coalition structures. The notice gives examples such as trauma centers, pediatric centers, and poison control centers.
How is RDHRS structured?
RDHRS is described as a tiered system that builds on the Medical Surge Capacity and Capability (MSCC) foundation and existing local response elements, including trauma systems and healthcare coalitions. The emphasis is on improving coordination mechanisms and adding specific clinical and administrative capabilities at the state and regional levels.
What is the Medical Surge Capacity and Capability (MSCC) foundation in this context?
The notice describes RDHRS as building on the MSCC foundation. Based on the information provided, MSCC is referenced as the underlying framework that RDHRS uses to organize and strengthen surge-related capabilities across tiers of response.
What does the opportunity emphasize across all tiers of RDHRS?
Across all tiers, the work is meant to optimize clinical surge capacity, embed clinical expertise into surge planning, and ensure specialists have a defined and empowered role in emergency planning and response decision-making.
What outcomes are highlighted at the state level?
At the state level, the opportunity highlights practical outcomes such as:
- Stronger real-time awareness of healthcare system capacity and capability.
- Clearer mechanisms to coordinate and prioritize patient transfers.
- Defined processes and policies for managing scarce resources.
- Reliable access to clinical specialists in high-need domains, including pediatrics, trauma/burn care, and infectious disease.
How is this intended to help a state during a disaster?
These improvements are intended to help a state manage crises within its borders more effectively. They are also intended to help a state provide better support to other states when interstate assistance is needed.
What is the intended role of RDHRS at the multi-state regional level?
At the multi-state regional level, RDHRS is intended to create workable mechanisms for sharing clinical expertise and coordinating care for low-probability, high-risk threats. A major theme is coordinating patient movement and care across jurisdictional boundaries.
What kinds of threats are specifically mentioned for regional coordination?
The notice specifically mentions chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents as examples of low-probability, high-risk threats where regional coordination and specialized expertise may be critical.
Why is patient movement across jurisdictions a major theme?
The opportunity highlights that moving patients and coordinating care across jurisdictional boundaries is often one of the hardest challenges in large-scale events, particularly when local resources are overwhelmed.
What national or specialty networks is RDHRS expected to align with?
The RDHRS approach is expected to align with and draw on established national and specialty networks. Examples mentioned include:
- The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (for biological threats).
- The Radiation Injury Treatment Network (for radiation events).
- Existing trauma-system infrastructure (for mass casualty incidents).
Is this funding opportunity creating the entire national RDHRS at once?
No. This Notice of Funding Opportunity does not attempt to stand up the entire national RDHRS at once. It funds a single demonstration site intended to advance the nationwide vision by identifying implementation issues, developing best practices, and assessing whether the model is effective and sustainable.
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
One award is expected.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is $3,000,000.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement.
What is a key expectation of the funded demonstration partnership?
The funded partnership is expected to focus on building and strengthening the relationships and operational pathways needed to expand surge capacity quickly, coordinate patient and resource movement, and rapidly bring in the right clinical specialists during a disaster.
Does this effort build on prior work?
Yes. The work builds on lessons from two earlier demonstration sites launched in 2018 and is intended to enhance readiness for both smaller emergencies and large, complex disasters.
Who is primarily eligible to apply?
Eligibility is aimed primarily at state governments, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice.
What kind of partnership is ASPR planning to fund?
ASPR plans to fund one partnership that brings together required members consistent with statutory requirements under Section 319C-2(b)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act.
What governance model are applicants expected to propose?
Applicants are expected to propose a governance model that can coordinate healthcare assets statewide and is also positioned to share information and medical assets with other states in the same HHS region.
How does this program relate to existing healthcare preparedness capabilities?
The program is framed as complementary to existing Health Care Preparedness and Response capabilities, but with a more explicit focus on clinical coordination during disaster response.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is EP HIT 20 002.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.817.
What activity category is associated with this funding?
The activity category listed is Disaster Prevention and Relief.
When was the opportunity posted and what was the application deadline?
The opportunity was posted on August 12, 2020. The original application deadline was September 11, 2020.
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