Public Health Preparedness: Improved Coordination Needed for HHS’s Emergency Preparedness Programs

Why It Matters

Effective coordination between PHEP and HPP is critical to ensure that public health and health‑care systems can respond swiftly to pandemics, extreme weather, and other threats, ultimately protecting public safety and reducing federal waste.

Key Takeaways

• HHS allocated $894M FY24 to PHEP and HPP programs.
• No formal coordination mechanism between PHEP and HPP agencies.
• HHS does not collect data on jurisdiction capability gaps.
• Improved coordination could cut inefficiencies, boost emergency readiness.
• GAO urges joint exercises, agreements, and capability tracking.

Pulse Analysis

The $654 million allocated to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program and the $240 million directed to the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) represent the largest federal investment in state and local readiness since the COVID‑19 pandemic. These funds are intended to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity, mass‑care delivery, and climate‑related response capabilities across a fragmented public‑health landscape. By channeling resources through both public‑health agencies and health‑care coalitions, HHS aims to create a dual‑track safety net that can absorb shocks from infectious disease outbreaks, hurricanes, and other high‑impact events.

GAO’s review, however, uncovered a structural blind spot: the two HHS offices that administer PHEP and HPP operate without a formal coordination framework. The absence of joint exercises, shared agreements, or a unified working group hampers information flow and leads to duplicated efforts at the jurisdictional level. Moreover, HHS does not systematically capture performance metrics against the 15 public‑health and four health‑care capability standards it has defined, leaving policymakers without a clear picture of where gaps remain. This data void limits the agency’s ability to fine‑tune funding allocations.

Implementing coordinated mechanisms—such as regular inter‑agency drills, a joint steering committee, and a centralized capability dashboard—could streamline resource use and enhance situational awareness. Jurisdictions would benefit from clearer guidance, reduced administrative overhead, and faster activation of combined response assets during emergencies. For the broader health‑security market, stronger alignment between public‑health and hospital preparedness programs signals a more predictable investment environment, encouraging private‑sector partners to develop interoperable solutions that address identified capability shortfalls.