Serving 18 counties & the EBCI in Western North Carolina
Mission
The Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (MAHPC) is dedicated to strengthening regional healthcare preparedness and resilience through collaborative planning, information sharing, resource coordination, and partnerships. MAHPC works to support and enhance healthcare infrastructure and response capabilities to help ensure the continuity and delivery of quality care to the residents and visitors of western North Carolina before, during, and after emergencies and disasters.
Program Overview
The Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (MAHPC) is a branch of the HCA Mission Health System, within Division Emergency Management. MAHPC maintains both a State Medical Assistance Type Two Team (SMAT II) and a Medical Reserve Corps Unit (MRMRC). MAHPC supports the North Carolina State Medical Response System (SMRS) through a contractual partnership and Memorandum of Agreement between Mission Health and the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS).
MAHPC serves as a regional healthcare preparedness and response resource, working collaboratively with hospitals, emergency medical services, emergency management, public health, long-term care and other healthcare facilities, and response organizations. Coalition activities are guided by annually assessed regional preparedness needs and priority contractual deliverables established in coordination with NCOEMS and the North Carolina State Medical Response System.
MAHPC supports a comprehensive approach to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience across the region. Quarterly coalition planning meetings provide a collaborative forum for regional partners to share information and best practices, identify emerging preparedness needs, coordinate resources, strengthen partnerships, and develop initiatives that enhance healthcare system readiness and response capabilities.
Coalition activities include the planning and coordination of regional exercises, education and training opportunities, healthcare decontamination preparedness, emergency communications, and other healthcare emergency preparedness initiatives. Through these efforts, MAHPC promotes coordination and interoperability among healthcare organizations and response agencies while supporting the development and sustainment of capabilities necessary to respond effectively to emergencies and disasters.
MAHPC also facilitates regional information sharing, coordination, and situational awareness among healthcare and response stakeholders. Through an established stakeholder distribution network, MAHPC disseminates timely information regarding severe weather and other emerging threats, preparedness and response activities, training and educational opportunities, exercises, and other information relevant to regional healthcare preparedness.
To further strengthen regional response capabilities, MAHPC maintains a robust cache of deployable resources and equipment designed to support critical healthcare infrastructure during emergencies, disasters, and other incidents that may affect healthcare operations or create extraordinary resource demands. These resources complement local capabilities and provide additional support to healthcare and response partners when regional coordination or resource augmentation is needed.
MAHPC initiatives are conducted with the oversight and support of HCA Mission Health, in coordination with NCOEMS and the North Carolina State Medical Response System, and through the continued collaboration and participation of regional healthcare organizations, emergency response agencies, and community partners.
Through preparedness planning, training, exercises, resource coordination, information sharing, and regional collaboration, MAHPC works to strengthen the preparedness, resilience, and response capabilities of the regional healthcare system and the communities it serves.
The Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (MAHPC) serves 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary across western North Carolina:
Avery • Buncombe • Burke • Cherokee • Clay • Graham • Haywood • Henderson • Jackson • Macon • Madison • McDowell • Mitchell • Polk • Rutherford • Swain • Transylvania • Yancey • Qualla Boundary
Through regional coordination and collaboration, MAHPC supports healthcare organizations, emergency medical services, emergency management agencies, public health partners, and other response stakeholders throughout this service area. This area also aligns with our Trauma Center Regional Service area - Mountain Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council (MATRAC)