Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (CHEPR)

The Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response is dedicated to mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other public health emergencies in Texas. Based on potential health and safety threats, risks and vulnerabilities the Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response programs do the following:

1. Assess state, regional and local preparedness programs;
2. Establish preparedness program policies, guidelines and procedures;
3. Strengthen state, regional and local preparedness program activities with technical assistance;
4. Coordinate public health and medical emergency preparedness activities such as planning, training and exercises;
5. Support local and regional response efforts;
6. Provide oversight and support of state health and medical response to public health emergencies and  disasters; and
7. Distribute and administer preparedness funding to public health and healthcare stakeholders across Texas for health and medical disaster preparedness and response.

Preparedness Management Unit

Resource Coordination

The Resource Coordination Team (RCT) performs the business operation responsibilities of the Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response including finance, procurement, and fiscal monitoring.  RCT coordinates with the PHEP and HPP Principal Investigators to prepare Cooperative Agreement application budgets, and redirection and carry forward requests. RCT is the center's financial liaison with the DSHS Public Health Regions, Budget Section, Accounting Section, Contract Management Unit, Funds Coordination and Management, and HHSC Enterprise Procurement staff.
 

Public Health Emergency Preparedness 

The Public Health Emergency Preparedness Branch works with local partners to support the readiness of DSHS Public Health Regions and local health departments (LHD) to respond to public health emergencies.

Learn More
 

Health Care Systems  

The Health Care Systems Branch manages the Hospital Preparedness Program Cooperative Agreement; works with health care systems to develop and implement hospital preparedness plans and programs, manages Quality Assurance for THPP sub-state regional contractors; and manages the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry (ESAR-VHP).

Learn More
 

Community Outreach and Volunteer Management  

This team works to support local health departments in their emergency preparedness outreach efforts by creating resources, providing guidance, and conducting training. The team also conducts state level coordination of local public health and medical volunteer groups, primarily the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Units.

Learn more about the MRCs
 

Response and Recovery Unit

The Response and Recovery Unit is dedicated to preparing, staffing, and training HHS enterprise employees to respond to state-wide disasters, building partnerships with both public and private organizations through agreements and contracts that are used in disaster response, managing disaster response resources, and developing operational guides and procedures for disaster response. The unit provides tactical communications capacity for disaster response and supports the Texas Public Health Information Network. This unit will serve as the agency’s emergency operations center, monitoring the state 24/7/365 for potential public health emergencies.

Learn More
 

Preparedness Coordination

The Preparedness Coordination Branch works actively and collaboratively with internal and external partners to build a well-prepared health and medical community in Texas.  This Branch prepares partners for health and medical response operations through the management and integration of planning, training, and exercise activities at the state, regional, and local levels of government.

Training and Exercise

Planning Resources