Membership

In general, all healthcare organizations in Rhode Island are considered stakeholders of HCRI. The Rhode Island Department of Health co-chairs HCRI and has responsibilities, both statutory and issued by grant guidance, to a broad host of healthcare organizations. As a result, any healthcare organization in Rhode Island may be eligible, pending approval from the Coalition’s leadership, to participate in the Coalition. Each healthcare organization should consult regulations, licensing standards, funding agreements, professional groups, and other relevant sources to understand its respective disaster preparedness and response obligations.

Once approved by the Coalition’s leadership, new members are provided a document that outlines roles and responsibilities of Coalition members (see Attachment C). New members are asked to sign this document, which is kept on file by the Coalition’s leadership. Members agree to share their respective organizations’ 24/7 emergency contact information with the Coalition and its members for disaster preparedness and response purposes. Membership information is maintained by the Coalition leadership.

 

Core & Non-Core MEMBERS

In accordance with federal Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) guidance, certain healthcare providers and emergency services—specifically hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency management agencies, and public health—play especially active roles in the Coalition, and thus make up the Core Membership. Additional, non-Core Members include health centers, nursing homes, assisted living communities, blood centers, first response agencies (police and fire), tribal nations, federal partners, military, home health agencies, etc. These non-Core Members play important roles in supporting the healthcare system during emergencies.

Organizational Structure

Co-CHAIRS

HCRI is co-chaired by the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response’s HPP Coordinator and the Hospital Association of Rhode Island’s Healthcare Emergency Management Director. 

 

Groups & Subcommittees

HCRI has divided its membership into subcommittees and groups that align with the 17 US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare provider types. These subcommittees and groups help foster discipline-specific conversations that can be tailored to the needs of HCRI members.

Group 1: HCRI Core Members/Hospitals (chaired by HCRI Co-chairs)

Group 2: Long-Term Care/Residential Facilities (chaired by Long-Term Care Mutual Aid Plan (LTC-MAP) Steering Committee)

Group 3: Home Health/Hospice (chaired by PACE)

Group 4: Outpatient Services (chaired by Rhode Island Health Center Association)

Group 5: End Stage Renal Disease (chaired by Davita Kidney Care)

Group 6: HCRI Support Services (chaired by HCRI Co-chairs)

Each group reports to HCRI on a quarterly basis for situational awareness, deconfliction of resources, cross-pollination of ideas and activities, and to reduce duplication and siloing across the entire coalition.

Workgroups

There may be projects that require the Coalition to convene an ad-hoc workgroup. These workgroups may be convened to research specific topics, discuss gaps, resource needs, challenges, budgets, and potential implementation plans and will make recommendations to the Coalition for next steps. Any Coalition member may volunteer to participate in an ad-hoc workgroup. All HCRI workgroups must promote inclusion, unity, and productive dialogue in the Rhode Island healthcare community.

Examples of work completed by past workgroups have include:

  • The development of a poster for Statewide emergency codes
  • The purchase of Hospital decontamination team equipment
  • Revision of the burn-trauma supplies for community hospitals