|
"Through the coordinated
effort of the county's
hospitals and response
partners, HERC has
accomplished a great deal
to better prepare the health
and medical community
to respond to both terrorist
and natural disaster events." |
West Palm Beach, FL - The Healthcare Emergency Response Coalition of Palm Beach County (HERC), an initiative of Palm Healthcare Foundation, recently held their first Annual Meeting at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The meeting was emceed by WPTV's Ted White and included a breakfast and awards presentation that featured guest speaker Mark Ackerman, the Chief Operating Officer of St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City, the first to respond to the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
"Through the coordinated effort of the county's hospitals and response partners, HERC has accomplished a great deal to better prepare the health and medical community to respond to both terrorist and natural disaster events," said Bill Farrell, HERC Chairman. "Recognizing participating organizations for serving as vital participants in HERC was the focus of our first annual meeting."
HERC was created through a $250,000 grant that PHF, an independent community healthcare foundation, awarded to the Palm Beach County Medical Society Services to help local hospitals prepare for bioterrorism. As a multi-disciplinary group, HERC meets monthly to work together on a community-wide response to natural and terrorist disaster events through collaborative training, exercises and standardized emergency response protocol development. HERC's mission is to develop and promote the healthcare emergency preparedness and response capabilities of Palm Beach County. This community-developed group represents a strong example of local government and private partnership coordination for emergency preparedness.
Participating organizations in HERC that were recognized at the Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet include: PBC Health Department, PBC Department of Emergency Management, PBC Fire Rescue, PBC Sheriff, PBC Medical Society Services, Health Care District of PBC, A. G. Holley, Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Boca Raton Community Hospital, Columbia Hospital, Delray Medical Center, Glades General Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, JFK Medical Center, Jupiter Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Palms West Hospital, St. Mary's Medical Center, Wellington Regional Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center. Other participating organizations in HERC include the American Red Cross and the VA Medical Center.
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MediaReach Public Relations
Media Contact: Rachel Bunge Gutierrez
Email: rachelg@mediareachpr.com
Office 561.659.4111
Website: mediareachpr.com |
