U. S. Healthcare & Public Health Sector Coordinating Council
(HPHSCC)
National Critical Infrastructure Protection & Risk Management --Â Public - Private Partnership
Our Mission
Coordinating the Protection of our National Critical Infrastructure and Health Security Now, and for Future Generations
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The nation depends on the continuity and availability of its healthcare and public health system, especially during disasters and emergencies. Every region in the U.S. is subject to a variety of natural, man-made (unintentional or intentional) and technological threats and events that may directly or indirectly disrupt the integrity of healthcare operations.
If the infrastructure that the healthcare and public health sector relies on breaks down or stops working, that could disrupt the ability to provide essential services to the communities we serve. By protecting our nation's healthcare and public health infrastructure through coordinated efforts, we can better ensure that vital healthcare and public health services are available when malicious events occur or when disaster strikes.
Core SCC Functions
The HPHSCC has been established to serve as the Sector Coordinator (as defined in the 2003 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 and modified in the 2013 Presidential Policy Directive 21 by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The HPHSCC serves as the private sector counterpart and partner to the Healthcare and Public Health Government Coordinating Council (HPHGCC, or GCC).
HPHSCC Core Functions (Not limited to), includes working with private and public partners to:
Develop guides and checklists to prepare sector members to recover from a critical incident or event
Implement the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) sector partnership and risk management framework and the National Health Security Strategy
Develop protective programs and actions to defend against, prepare for, and mitigate the consequences of a terrorist attack or other hazards
Provide guidance on Healthcare and Public Health critical infrastructure protection
Communicate the needs of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector throughout government, and across private sector partners
Measure the sector's performance toward sector protection priorities
Encourage information sharing among all sector partners
Submit sector plans and reports to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Sustain the essential functions of the Nation’s healthcare and public health delivery system and to support effective emergency preparedness and response to nationally significant hazards or events
Public and private sector partners will evaluate risks; coordinate plans and policy; and provide guidance to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all hazards that pose a threat to the Sector’s critical infrastructure
Independent of, or in collaboration with our GCC partners, the HPHSCC Leadership shall serve, the Offices of the Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and to the Office of the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, as trusted advisors on matters of Healthcare and Public Health Readiness and Response to actual and perceived threats to our Nation’s Health Security.
Independent of, or in collaboration with our GCC partners, the HPHSCC shall serve our membership, as well as the community we serve, as a coordinating group during times of regional or national, healthcare or public health crisis. The HPHSCC Executive Committee will collaborate with independent or organized groups of subject matter experts to best inform and lead the HPHSCC
HPHSCC STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FUNCTION
The strategic function of the HPHSCC is to serve as a partnership organization interfacing between the private sector and the public sector including principally the HPHGCC, HHS, DHS, other federal, state and local governments, and response agencies.
The HPHSCC’s partnership function has essential dependencies on the continuity of other critical infrastructure providers, represented by other sector coordinating councils. Therefore, we actively encourage partnerships with other Sector Specific Agencies and Sector Coordinating Councils to prepare for and respond to healthcare needs across our nation. In addition to coordinating, managing and maintaining these private sector collaborations with the public sector, the HPHSCC is responsible for using these relationships to mobilize and align owner/ operator activities at the individual and collective level, and ultimately ensure the effective identification, prioritization, coordination and implementation of sector-wide strategies to secure the U.S. healthcare system during readiness, response and recovery phases of emergency operations.
The HPHSCC partnership organization works to achieve its mission through communication, coordination and collaboration by enhancing the bi-directional flow of information, guidance and expertise within the private sector (Figure 1) and with Government leadership.