Blog
Analysis, situation reports, and perspective on public health emergency preparedness from the HRA team.
Disasters Still Hit the Most Vulnerable Hardest. Our Planning Has Not Caught Up.
Research consistently shows disasters produce the worst health outcomes for those already most vulnerable. The gap between what the evidence shows and what our planning requires is wider than it should be.
The Quiet Crisis in Public Health Preparedness
The proposed FY2026 federal budget would cut the CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness program by 52 percent. For practitioners in public health and emergency management, this is not a policy debate. it is a countdown.
What the FY2026-2029 ASPR Strategic Plan Signals
The ASPR FY2026-2029 Strategic Plan reads like more than a routine refresh. It signals a shift in posture, incentives, and how the federal government intends to define its role in preparedness going forward.
More from the Blog
The 2026 Outlook for Health Access in Emergencies
As we head into 2026, health access during emergencies is being shaped less by the disasters themselves and more by the systems people depend on before a crisis ever begins. Coverage affordability, vaccination policy shi...
Health Response Alliance at One Year
In our first months, HRA sprinted alongside partners to get a pilot ready for peak hurricane season. The goal was simple: build something useful, test it with real partners, and be ready to support action if a major even...
In a Disaster, 'Is It Open?' Can Be a Life-Safety Question
Disasters rarely create just one health problem. They interrupt the everyday pathways people use to stay stable, from prescriptions and dialysis to prenatal visits and cancer treatment. When the system is under stress, a...
2025 Texas Flooding Situation Reports
Health Response Alliance has activated for this event to support assessment and requests for assistance from health services in the affected area.
On-Demand Saline: Smart Tech, But Not a Miracle Cure
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has launched a pilot program to decentralize intravenous (IV) fluid production. In partnership with DEKA Research and Development Corp, the initiative cen...
Ready to Serve: Unleashing Volunteer Health Professionals Across State Lines
In a crisis, access to qualified health professionals can mean the difference between order and chaos. Yet bureaucratic barriers too often prevent medical volunteers from crossing state lines just when they’re needed mos...
The Medicaid Cliff: What Happens When Disasters Hit the Newly Uninsured?
Disaster response planning typically assumes that most people have some form of health coverage. This foundation enables timely access to medications, urgent care, and long-term recovery services. But the Medicaid cliff ...
Health Access at Risk: Analyzing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Texas has seen more than 20 rural hospital closures since 2010. Under OBBBA, Medicaid reimbursement cuts could reach nearly $70 billion under the House bill and $1 trillion under Senate versions, prompting concern about ...
Beyond the Coastline: Addressing Inland Vulnerabilities During Hurricanes
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm and charged inland, flooding western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. In North Carolina alone, more than 200 liv...
After the Hand-Off: How States Are Reinventing Disaster Response in 2025
In 2025, the United States is undergoing a profound transformation in how it manages disasters. A March 2025 executive order, Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness, called on state and local governmen...
When Federal Support Fades: How NGOs Can Bolster Healthcare Systems
NGOs haven’t traditionally relied on large-scale federal funding. Many operate independently or in collaboration with philanthropic funders, international networks, or community institutions. But as the federal role in d...
Preparing for a Future Without HPP
The proposed elimination of the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) in the federal budget has sparked real concern among public health and emergency management professionals. For more than 20 years, HPP has helped hospit...
FY2026 White House Budget Proposal: What Emergency Managers Need to Know
On May 2, 2025, the White House released its proposed discretionary budget for FY 2026, signaling major shifts that could reshape the landscape for emergency management and public health preparedness. Though this proposa...
Breakdown: The End of AmeriCorps and Implications for Emergency Management
Founded in 1993 to revitalize national service efforts, AmeriCorps rapidly expanded into disaster and public health response. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, AmeriCorps' role became undeniable, as...
Breakdown: Building Smarter Partnerships for Local Resilience Amid Federal Cuts
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have proven to be among the most cost-effective and reliable tools for enhancing public health and emergency preparedness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these collaborations enabled the...
Breakdown: The Hospital Preparedness Program and the FY2026 Budget Threat
In April 2025, a leaked version of the FY2026 HHS budget proposal revealed potential cuts and structural changes that could significantly impact the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), a cornerstone of the nation’s healt...
Breakdown: What H-CORE Was Created to Solve, and What Its Elimination Could Mean
In April 2025, a leaked draft of the FY2026 HHS budget proposal revealed plans to eliminate the HHS Coordination Operations and Response Element (H-CORE) as part of a broader reorganization and $40 billion reduction in d...
Breakdown: What the Leaked HHS Budget Means for the Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps is a network of over 300,000 trained volunteers. These professionals, ranging from licensed clinicians to logistics and behavioral health specialists, mobilize to support health and emergency oper...
What the Leaked HHS Budget Means for U.S. Emergency Preparedness
The full leaked document can be accessed here: Leaked FY2026 HHS Budget Proposal (PDF).
Situation Report: Puerto Rico Island-wide Power Outage
Health Response Alliance – Situation ReportPuerto Rico Island-wide Power OutageDate: April 16, 2025Prepared by: Health Response AllianceStatus: Ongoing Event
FEMA's Denial of Washington State Disaster Relief: A Troubling Shift
Emergency managers across the country are paying close attention to a recent development in Washington State - and they should be. In November 2024, a powerful bomb cyclone swept through the Pacific Northwest, causing an...
Why Emergency Leaders Must Prepare for ICE Presence in Shelters
Disasters don’t discriminate by immigration status. When wildfires tear through neighborhoods or hurricanes force evacuations, entire communities are displaced. Emergency shelters become essential infrastructure. Hospita...
Emergencies Don't Care About the Economy
In early 2025, the U.S. administration implemented substantial tariffs on a wide range of imported goods, aiming to address trade imbalances and bolster domestic industries. These tariffs, ranging from 10% to 50%, have r...
Trump's Tariffs: The Impending Crisis for Healthcare and Patient Care
The new tariffs impose a baseline 10% tax on all imports, accompanied by even harsher reciprocal tariffs aimed specifically at nations with considerable trade imbalances with the U.S. These include a 34% tariff on import...
Critical Actions for ESF-8 Planners Amid HHS Layoffs
Your emergency response ecosystem is only as strong as your relationships. Start by checking in with your key contacts at ASPR, CDC, FEMA regional offices, and any federal partners you routinely work with. Find out:
Evaluating the Move: What ASPR's Integration into the CDC Means for Preparedness
ASPR was elevated to an operating division within HHS in 2022 to reflect its growing scope and importance. It plays a central role in federal coordination for public health emergencies, from pandemics to natural disaster...
Effective Strategies for Public-Private Partnerships in Disaster Response
Effective disaster response starts long before an emergency occurs. Establishing pre-existing agreements with private partners ensures that collaboration can begin immediately when a crisis strikes. Memorandums of Unders...
Dismantling the Department of Education's Role in Disaster Recovery
Beyond its educational mandates, the Department of Education has been instrumental in supporting communities during and after disasters. Key functions include:
Executive Order on Disaster Preparedness: Key Takeaways
The executive order emphasizes that preparedness begins at the community level. The federal government will step back from direct involvement and instead focus on providing support when needed. While this could lead to m...
Strengthening Emergency Readiness
One of the key ways HRA enhances emergency readiness is by helping organizations map out their existing partnerships, assets, and untapped resources. Many organizations have valuable connections and resources that go und...
Misinformation Challenges During the 2024 Hurricane Season
Misinformation during hurricanes is not new, but the rise of artificial intelligence-generated content and social media amplification has made it more dangerous. In 2024, false reports of hospital closures, misleading cl...
America's Medical Deserts
Imagine a Category 4 hurricane making landfall in a rural town, leaving destruction in its wake. Homes are flooded, power lines are down, and a father of three suffers a heart attack. He calls 911-only to learn that the ...
Chronic Disease Management in Emergencies
Unlike traumatic injuries that demand immediate medical attention, chronic diseases require continuous management. Patients rely on regular medication, specialized medical devices, and access to healthcare providers to k...
The Role of Community Health Workers in Emergency Response
CHWs provide a range of essential services, from chronic disease management and health education to addressing social determinants of health. They are particularly effective in reaching marginalized communities, includin...
What the U.S. Can Learn from the Global Cluster System
When disaster strikes, coordination is everything. A chaotic response can cost lives, waste resources, and leave communities in prolonged suffering. Internationally, the Cluster System has become the backbone of humanita...
Emergency Blog: The U.S. Measles Outbreak
The United States is currently grappling with a significant measles outbreak, centered in West Texas and extending into eastern New Mexico. With over 58 confirmed cases in Texas and at least eight in New Mexico, this is ...
The Untapped Potential of Health-Focused NGOs
NGOs come in all shapes and sizes, from large international organizations to small local nonprofits, but they share a common strength: the ability to move quickly and adapt to changing conditions. In public health emerge...
Making It Easier for the Public to Know Where to Get Healthcare
Imagine a single digital map or dashboard that shows all healthcare facilities in the region, updated in real time with their open/closed status and any available services. Governments, nonprofits, or tech companies coul...
Health Equity in Emergency Response
If you’re working in emergency response or public health, you’ve likely heard the term “health equity” more times than you can count. Sometimes, it feels like the concept is tacked on to grant proposals, or used as a buz...
Strengthening Health Security: The Case for an ASPR Foundation
The past few years have underscored the importance of a strong and resilient health security infrastructure. From pandemics to natural disasters, the ability of the U.S. healthcare system to respond rapidly and equitably...
Why States Must Strengthen Private-Sector Partnerships in an Era of Federal Uncertainty
The landscape of public health preparedness and response is shifting. With growing uncertainty around federal funding and capacity under the new administration, states can no longer rely on Washington alone to ensure the...