Convening Leaders for Emergency and Response (CLEAR)

The AHA hub for emergency response and disaster preparedness provides resources to strengthen and reimagine the emergency management system for the nation’s health care and public health preparedness, response and recovery efforts for natural disasters and other emergencies.

The CLEAR Field Guide for Emergency Preparedness

The CLEAR Field Guide for Emergency Preparedness

Advance our nation’s emergency management system by breaking down knowledge silos, bolstering the public health infrastructure, diversifying health care integration and more deeply integrating federal, state and local governments.

 

CLEAR Crisis Leadership Series

This five-part video series is tailored to elevate the crisis management skills of hospital and health system leaders. Watch the videos to gain essential insights and strategies from health care leaders on navigating public health crises, such as mass shootings, natural disasters, cyberattacks, concurrent emergencies, and on responding to public health emergency response in rural settings.

Mass Violence Incident Discussion

Hospital and health system teams are responding to an increasing number of mass shootings. This episode of the CLEAR Crisis Leadership Video Series features Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer, and hospital and health system C-suite leaders discussing insights and strategies for effectively navigating incidents of mass violence.

Featuring:

Adam Apolinar, CEO of Uvalde Memorial Hospital, and Tom Miller, CEO of University of Louisville Health.

 
 
Multiple Clear Crisis Leadership Tip Sheets

Tip Sheets 

CLEAR Crisis Leadership Tip Sheet Collection

A collection of tip sheets that provide hospitals and health systems with tangible strategies to effectively prepare for and respond to varying emergency scenarios including natural disasters, cyberattacks, concurrent emergencies, mass violence incidents and emergencies in rural settings.

 

Join the Conversation!

Join the conversation on emergency preparedness and response. Engage with 400+ health care and public health professionals to exchange best practices and access exclusive resources through AHA’s Living Learning Network, which offers virtual topic-based peer-to-peer communities, including a group dedicated to emergency management.

Learn More about LLN

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Enhancing Preparation and Response for Public Health Emergencies

AHA Board Chair Joanne Conroy, M.D., discusses how hospitals and health systems are working with community partners to strengthen their preparation and response to public emergencies and natural disasters.

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Rural Hospital Uses Simulation Training to Learn and Practice Emergency Preparedness Skills

Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Michigan partnered with the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation in Florida to practice and refine emergency response and medical surge management.

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Medical person swabbing a person in a car

A Strategy to Tackle Public Health Misinformation 

Erin Fogarty, PhD, details the impact of misinformation in her community of Livingston, IL throughout the height of the pandemic. Learn more about the actionable strategies that she and the Livingston County Health Department took to mitigate these effects.

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Strengthening Crisis Management in Rural Health Care

Building workforce resilience is a worthwhile investment in crisis management. Discover strategies to support frontline workers, build capacity, and prepare for future public health emergencies in rural communities.

Case Study

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How Kentucky Hospitals Deployed a Coordinated Emergency Response 

In December 2021, a deadly tornado thundered across the southern U.S., producing catastrophic damage. Learn how hospitals coordinated a rapid response in Graves County, KY.

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Next Wave of Emergency Preparedness in Health Care

The AHA discussed the “next wave of emergency preparedness,” at Becker’s CEO + CFO Roundtable. This session centered on three priority areas that health care leaders must address to prepare, respond and recover from future public health emergencies: strengthening cross-sector partnerships, building workforce capacity and resilience, and fostering a culture of preparedness.

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Insights on Emergency Preparedness From Rural Health Care Leaders

At the 2022 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, rural health care leaders participated in an open dialogue on strengthening emergency management systems.

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Regional, State Execs Reflect on Emergency Response During Pandemic

State hospital association leaders discuss the determination and spirit displayed by health care workers nationwide since the pandemic. “What our members did is not just heartwarming, but it’s hard to believe how well they rose to the occasion. It was a marvel to watch.”

 
 
 

Remembering the Highland Park Mass Shooting

The 2022 mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois traumatized an entire community. Gabrielle Cummings, president of NorthShore Highland Park Hospital, discusses how the hospital team responded to an unfolding crisis and kept not only the community together, but the health care staff as well.

Risk Communications

Communicating information is critical during emergencies and disasters. Phelps Health shares proven strategies for successful risk communication in times of crisis, which can be adopted by other health care organizations.

Get Prepared

Threats to public safety are increasing. Join the AHA in its efforts to align and unite health care and public health for the next emergency.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Partners

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Presented as part of Cooperative Agreement 5 HITEP210047-02-00, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The Health Research & Educational Trust, an American Hospital Association 501(c)(3) nonprofit subsidiary, is a proud partner of this Cooperative Agreement. The contents of this webpage are solely the responsibility of the Health Research & Educational Trust and its partners and do not necessarily represent the official policies or views of the Department of Health and Human Services or of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Further, any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.