The Center for Health Care Emergency Readiness (CHCER) was created to help prepare non-federal hospitals to meet their expected role, as full partners, in the nation’s strategy to protect its citizens from the harmful effects of all hazards. Building on existing efforts to meet the demands of natural disasters, CHCER further strengthens this foundation while preparing the facility to meet its obligations to protect its stakeholders from all hazards.

By meeting the new and upgraded standards as defined in the National Response Plan, each hospital will be doing everything in their power to minimize the cost of lives and thwart the devastating financial losses associated with not being prepared.

CHCER solutions do not supplant current accrediting or other oversight mechanisms. Existing oversight mechanisms are necessary but not sufficient to meet today's NRP readiness expectations.

Required Hazard Vulnerability Analyses focus on historically significant threats while other significant threats loom. Traditional oversight activities do not fully address comprehensive hospital CBRNE readiness issues.