Resources Available For National Emergency Management Awareness Month

August is National Emergency Management Awareness Month, a new initiative launched by the International Association of Emergency Managers to spotlight the vital role of emergency managers in building resilient communities. IAEM provides social media toolkits, outreach templates and more to help emergency managers share their stories and advocate for the profession.

In health care, emergency management is especially vital, requiring expertise and seamless coordination to safeguard patients and maintain continuity of care during crises. This work extends beyond immediate response — it encompasses ongoing preparedness, mitigation and recovery within the health care system.

The Missouri Hospital Association offers robust emergency preparedness and response resources to support hospital readiness, including the following.

• Administrative support and user access to EMResource and eICS for real-time situational awareness and resource tracking
• Guidance on hazard preparedness for infectious disease response, violent incident response and supply chain resilience
• Facilitation of the Missouri Health Care Coalition to enhance coordination and collaboration
• Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) tools for effective incident management and coordination
• A Health Care Preparedness Professional Orientation Timeline for onboarding and training
• Mutual Aid Agreements to enable inter-hospital support during disasters

Emergency management professionals at Missouri hospitals are encouraged to leverage both IAEM’s national campaign and MHA’s localized resources to strengthen their outreach, preparedness and advocacy efforts this August.