About the Center

On this page:

• Our mission
• Our vision
• Our history
• Recognition
• Contact us

Our mission

To reduce loss of life, injury and illness by developing and delivering services within Connecticut, across the nation and around the world that advance healthcare planning, preparedness, response and recovery from emergency events and disasters through collaborative partnerships and coordinated programs.

Our vision

Our vision is to be a recognized leader regionally, nationally and internationally in emergency management for the health-related aspects of emergencies and disasters.

Our history

As a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, YNHHS President and CEO Joseph A. Zaccagnino requested that emergency and terrorism preparedness activities be evaluated at each of the system's member hospitals (Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale-New Haven). This action led to the creation of the YNHHS Office of Emergency Preparedness in June 2002. In that same time period, YNHHS was designated by the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health as a Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response in the state. Since then, YNHHS, through its Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response, has developed and delivered numerous creative, practical programs and services to facilities across the state and around the nation. The Center is a CDC-designated Center for Public Health Preparedness.

Recognition

The Center has partnered with a number of national and international organizations engaged in development of standards or programs and services for the health care industry related to emergency preparedness and disaster response. Each collaboration allows the Center to expand dissemination of its own programs and services and enhance and share its expertise on a global scale. These partners include:

AMA: The American Medical Association has designated the Center as the New England region training center for its National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) courses for physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

ASTM: The American Society for Testing and Materials has asked the Center to help establish standards of emergency preparedness as well as core competencies for health care delivery organizations and their employees.

HRSA: The Health Resources and Services Administration has designated the Center as a national demonstration partner for health care delivery workforce education and training in emergency preparedness.

Joint Commission: In recognition of Yale New Haven Health System's expertise and capacity for continued contributions to the emergency preparedness and response capabilities of health care delivery organizations, the Joint Commission has identified YNHHS as a national leader in hospital emergency preparedness and highlighted our programs in a recent Joint Commission satellite broadcast. The Joint Commission has also asked the Center to collaborate on development of emergency preparedness hospital standards.

NORTHCOM: The NORAD/USNORTHCOM Homeland Security/Defense Education Consortium invited the Center to join its consortium, which promotes and facilitates homeland security-related education program development and research and evaluation. Most recently, the Center, in collaboration with NorthCom, has established the National Center for Interpreted Civilian / Military Domestic Disaster Medical Response.

PAHO: The Pan American Health Organization is partnering with the Center to adapt and disseminate education and training programs for emergency preparedness throughout this hemisphere.

Connecticut Department of Public Health: The commissioner for the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) designated us as a Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response. In this role, the Center continues to collaborate with DPH on many emergency preparedness initiatives such as emergency credentialing, a mobile hospital facility and a biodosimetry laboratory.

Contact us

Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response
1 Church Street, 5th Floor
New Haven, CT 06510
Telephone: (203) 688-3224
Fax: (203) 688-4618
E-mail: center@ynhh.org