NJ A2611

Department of Health must establish a Regional Hospital System Program for Emergency Preparedness, organizing licensed hospitals and local health departments into geographically-defined regional coalitions with designated hospital coordinators.

Regional coalitions must submit emergency preparedness plans within 12 months of DOH establishing assessment criteria, addressing response coordination, medical readiness, surge capacity, staffing shortages, and continuity of care during public emergencies.

DOH must conduct annual surveys of the hospital system's preparedness and resiliency, reviewing both individual hospital emergency response plans and regional coalition preparedness plans.

A grant program must be established to provide funding and technical assistance to hospitals identified as deficient in emergency preparedness.

DOH must develop data-sharing systems between coalitions and create a redeployment system allowing department, hospital, or health department leaders to be reassigned throughout the state during emergencies.