Readiness Across the Healthcare Continuum

The purpose of the South Central Healthcare Coalition (SCHCC) is to systematically

enhance regional medical response capabilities needed to prevent, respond, and recover

from any event that significantly impacts health and medical resources through: strong

interagency collaboration and communication; the identification of capability-based needs

and priorities; and the efficient and effective use of existing resources. This is primarily

accomplished by promoting emergency preparedness, planning and conducting training

exercises, and coordinating support among regional medical response system partners

within the coalition's geographic boundaries. The organization serves as a regional

healthcare coalition as defined in state and federal guidelines.

All organizations within the South Central Region that provide health or medical

services, as well as organizations whose mission is related to providing or assuring health

services during disasters, are welcome to join the Coalition; to attend the SCHCC quarterly

meeting; and to participate in working committees and ad hoc groups. General members

agree to work collaboratively on healthcare preparedness and emergency response

activities and to share their organization's contact information with each other for disaster

preparedness and response purposes.

The state of Colorado has 9 All-Hazards regions. The South Central Region (SCR) is

comprised of the following five Colorado counties: Chaffee, El Paso, Lake, Park and Teller.

El Paso County (home of the City of Colorado Springs) lies mainly to the east of the Front

Range of the Rocky Mountains and encompasses mostly urban and suburban areas. It is

also the most populated county in Colorado and home to 5 military installations. The

remaining SCR counties all lie within the Rocky Mountains and are comprised of rural

communities.

This distinct geographical difference presents a major challenge in planning and

preparation within the Region, as challenges in one area are not necessarily the same in

the next. Due to the vast differences in landscape and capability across the SCR, a hazard

in one area of the region could be significantly more crippling than that same hazard in

another area.