Hospitals are the community’s safety net 24 hours a day, every day of the year. When disaster strikes, hospitals coordinate with community and government partners to help ensure that medication, supplies, and personnel are deployed to meet the demand for medical services.

In 2002, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) established the Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Program (WHEPP) through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As administered by DHS in partnership with the WHA and other stakeholders, WHEPP’s mission is to support the emergency preparedness efforts of hospitals and other health care partners by providing equipment, supplies, resources, training, and infrastructure.