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Preparedness & Emergency Response

MHA Staff headshot Kara Amann Kale

Contact an Expert

Kara Amann

Director of Hospital Preparedness Programs

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.

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.

  1. Operational Level
  2. Executive Level

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)

  1. View the Timeline

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

  1. View the Latest Preparedness & Emergency Response Resources
  2. Learn More About EMResource/EICS
  3. Learn More About the Missouri Health Care Coaltition

Stay Informed MHA Newsroom

All News
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August 14, 2026

MHA, SLMHC Invite Hospitals To Participate In St. Louis Health Care Career Event

The St. Louis Metropolitan Hospital Council, a regional office of MHA, invites hospitals and health care employers to participate in the Explore Your…
Read article: "MHA, SLMHC Invite Hospitals To Participate In St. Louis Health Care Career Event"
A  Women Reviews the Data Analysis of Marketing from Social Media Platforms.

August 14, 2026

MHA Distributes Analysis For Proposed Updates To CY 2027 Medicare Home Health PPS

The Missouri Hospital Association published an analysis that illustrates the financial effects of the calendar year 2027 Medicare Home Health…
Read article: "MHA Distributes Analysis For Proposed Updates To CY 2027 Medicare Home Health PPS"
Registration Is Open For MHA’s 104th Annual Convention

August 12, 2026

Registration Is Open For MHA’s 104th Annual Convention

One need look no further than the faces in the hallways of our hospital organizations to find the meaning of our work. They are faces of compassion…
Read article: "Registration Is Open For MHA’s 104th Annual Convention"
Analyst Employee Working On Spreadsheet Using Desktop Computer

August 12, 2026

MHA Distributes Analysis Of Proposed CY 2027 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System

The Missouri Hospital Association prepared an analysis illustrating the financial effects of the proposed calendar year 2027 Medicare Outpatient…
Read article: "MHA Distributes Analysis Of Proposed CY 2027 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System"

Get Involved Events & Education

All Events
Aug 17

PQC Connect: Curing Hepatitis C through Labor & Delivery Admissions

This virtual session will explore hepatitis C, treatment assessment and strategies to use labor and delivery admissions as an opportunity to link…

View event: "PQC Connect: Curing Hepatitis C through Labor & Delivery Admissions"
Aug 20

AI Revolution in Commercial Buildings

This event explores how emerging AI-driven technologies are changing building operations from energy management and maintenance to security,…

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Aug 24

HIDI Office Hours

Connect with HIDI experts during open office hours — get personalized help with tools, data submission and more.

View event: "HIDI Office Hours"
Aug 25

HIDI Focus Session: HIDI Point of Care Alerting and Portal

Join us for a deep dive into HIDI’s Point of Care Alerting and Portal — powerful tools designed to bring actionable intelligence directly to…

View event: "HIDI Focus Session: HIDI Point of Care Alerting and Portal"
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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.

  1. Download the Mutual Aid Agreement