Preparedness & Emergency Response

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Kara Amann
Director of Hospital Preparedness Programs
- Send an Email
- 573-893-3700| ext. 1402

Hospital emergency preparedness and response is fundamental to community resiliency.
These planning resources establish hospital readiness, and provide a proven response and recovery framework, for before, during and after an emergency.
Outbreak & Emerging Diseases
Supply Chain
Missouri Health Care Coalition

Stages of an Emergency
01. Preparedness
Preparedness are steps taken to ensure safety before, during and after an emergency. It is a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response.
02. Response
Response takes place in the initial minutes of an emergency and involves repeated assessment, planning, action and review to respond appropriately to needs and capacities as they evolve.
03. Mitigation
Mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of incidents.
04. Recovery
Recovery is the phase of the emergency from the point of incident stabilization to a return to a “normal” state.

MHA Resources
Implementing the Basics of HICS
On-demand content is available to ensure operational level staff or executives are equipped with the foundational knowledge and skills to navigate any crisis seamlessly.

Health Care Preparedness Professional Orientation Timeline
The Health Care Preparedness Professional Orientation Timeline provides a standardized orientation template to understand facility requirements, regional resources and Missouri’s health care response system. (Excel file)


Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA’s mission is to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters with a vision of “A Nation Prepared.” The agency offers several resources to help people before, during, and after disasters.
National Incident Management System
FEMA’s National Incident Management System provides a common, nationwide approach to enable the whole community to work together to manage all threats and hazards. NIMS applies to all incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. NIMS retains key concepts and principles while incorporating lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents, best practices, and changes in national policy.
MHA Resources
FEMA Resources
Stay Informed MHA Newsroom
All News
November 14, 2025
Staff Spotlight: Chris Conn Celebrates 20 Years With HIDI
November 14, 2025
MHA, Partners To Host 2026 Virtual Health Care Career Day
November 13, 2025
On the Move: Hospital Leadership Changes for November 2025
November 12, 2025
MHA Members Elect Chair-Elect, Board Approves 2026 Officers
Get Involved Events & Education
All EventsHIDI Office Hours
Connect with HIDI experts during open office hours — get personalized help with tools, data submission and more.
Emerging Health Care Leaders
Empower emerging leaders with the skills, confidence and insight to lead effectively — today and into the future.
HIDI Focus Session: HIDI Hospital Acquired Conditions Dashboard
See how your hospital can view data related to hospitalization and drill down to specific conditions, patients and time frames.
Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Program
Stay survey-ready! This virtual session covers QAPI standards, top deficiencies and updated CMS guidelines for all hospital types.
Mutual Aid Agreement
The Missouri Hospital Mutual Aid Agreement establishes a coordinated system through which hospitals throughout Missouri and in adjoining states will provide mutual aid to each other as necessary to support emergency medical care needs in a medical disaster.