The FRCOG serves as the sponsoring organization of the Western Massachusetts Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (HMCC). The HMCC coordinates public health and medical emergency preparedness in the four westernmost MA Counties (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire). The HMCC maintains a website fully detailing their efforts.
Details
The western Massachusetts Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (W MA HMCC) coordinates public health and medical emergency preparedness in the four westernmost Massachusetts counties, minus a few towns along the Worcester County border (Brimfield, Holland, New Salem, Orange, and Wales).
Every community in Massachusetts is part of a regional HMCC; while the specific activities undertaken by each HMCC may differ according to local needs, all HMCC’s work to strengthen public health and healthcare system capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from, public health emergencies or emergencies with public health implications. We do this by:
- Building relationships within the health sector and across the community
- Developing collaborative emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans
- Facilitating communication, information, and resource sharing
- Maximizing the utilization of existing resources
The FRCOG Role in the HMCC
The FRCOG serves as the Sponsoring Organization for the Western MA HMCC via a contract with the MA Dept. of Public Health’s Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management, who receive and distribute Federal funds via the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDEC) and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Both funding streams foster preparedness via municipal public health and healthcare systems by aligning preparedness and response efforts.
The funding supports four Public Health Preparedness (PHEP) Coalitions, as well as all Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units, and all acute care hospitals within western MA. As part of this contract, the FRCOG provides the staffing for the HMCC, the Franklin County PHEP Coalition, and subcontracts with other regional entities to ensure streamlined planning and reporting of activities within the state grant. Our subcontractors include Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the City of Northampton, each of whom oversees their respective county-wide PHEP Coalitions and MRC units.
The FRCOG’s work is a blend of direct service provision to the HMCC overall and Franklin County PHEP Coalition, and to provide administrative oversight of annual subcontractor workplan and budget development, as well as quarterly and end-of-year expense and workplan reports to ensure grant compliance.
Staff
Nick Licata
x159
Dan Nietsche
x110
Xander Sylvain
x135
