Conceptualization of a Health Care Coalition Framework in Georgia Based on the Existing Regional Coordinating Hospital Infrastructure

In 2001, the State of Georgia created a Regional Coordinating Hospital (RCH) infrastructure tasked with coordinating regional disaster responses. It was determined that hospitals alone could not be responsible for community preparedness, and in 2012 Georgia began to create healthcare coalitions (HCC) comprised of healthcare organizations, nursing homes, community health centers, volunteer groups, law enforcement, and other community organizations to improve community resilience. The authors highlight the preparedness gaps and improvements in state disaster response attributed to HCCs.