LA County Gets $30 Million to Prep for Emergencies

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week awarded Los Angeles County $30.7 million to help the region better prepare for public health emergencies.

Grants were awarded to support preparedness for health care systems, coalitions and organizations and to better coordinate public health responses when administered by local, state and federal agencies simultaneously.

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"Health care and public health systems that are prepared to respond successfully to emergencies and recover quickly from all hazards are also able to deliver services more effectively and efficiently every day," said HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Nicole Lurie.

"Having systems in place to provide better treatment for disaster survivors and improved public health for our communities also leads to better health outcomes on a day-to-day basis."

The HHS awarded a total of $971 million to every state, U.S. territories and the nation's four largest metropolitan areas. California received about $72 million apart from the award to Los Angeles County.

The grants were awarded as part of two federal programs, the Hospital Preparedness Program and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Chief Deputy Director Jonathan Freedman said about $10.6 million will be earmarked for equipment, training exercises and some structural investments to improve communications at public and private hospitals in the county.

The other $20.1 million go to improving the county's ability to respond to a major public health disaster such as water contamination, an infectious disease outbreak or an intentional act of bioterrorism, Freedman said.

The grant funding, which was previously aimed at helping hospitals ready for a bioterrorism attack, has shifted its focus toward expanding capacity.

Lurie said expanded access to primary health care is likely to reduce visits to emergency rooms, allowing hospitals to care for more patients during an emergency.