Resources Available To Support Missouri Hospitals, Communities Throughout The World Cup

In the coming weeks, Kansas City will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, creating an increased demand on health care systems throughout the region. Health care systems and Missourians will play an important role in ensuring patients, visitors and communities remain safe during this historic event.

To support readiness efforts, there are resources available specifically for health care professionals, emergency preparedness leaders, hospital teams and the public.

• The Missouri Hospital Association has assembled training opportunities and preparedness resources to help hospitals prepare for World Cup-related impacts. These resources support emergency management teams, hospital leadership and front-line staff as they evaluate surge capacity, review incident command structures, strengthen communication plans and coordinate with local response partners.
• The Health Alliance of Mid America, a joint venture of MHA and the Kansas Hospital Association, compiled Kansas City region-specific resources including guidance related to emergency response, patient surge planning, public health coordination, workforce preparedness and caring for diverse patient populations. KHA and MHA also developed a country-specific health care culture overview to support hospitals in understanding cultural expectations and care norms for patients arriving from abroad.
• The Missouri Health Matters Health & Safety Guide offers practical information to help communities prepare for the influx of visitors expected during the tournament. The guide highlights important public health considerations, including heat-related illness prevention, travel health concerns, personal safety, emergency preparedness and strategies for navigating large crowds and major events. Hospital staff can use these resources to educate patients, families and community partners while reinforcing public health messaging before and during the tournament.

MHA and its partners will continue to inform hospitals of resources available, health care impacts and other emerging issues throughout the event.