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Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP)
The Colorado Hospital
Preparedness Program (HPP) resides within the
Emergency Preparedness and Response Division (EPRD)
at the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE). The population served by
the HPP is 5,110,256, of which approximately 2.7
million live within the Denver metro area.
Colorado has diverse geographic areas ranging
from densely populated urban to rural areas that
fall under the definition of frontier to thick
forested mountainous regions. The State of
Colorado ranks eighth in the nation in size,
having 104,094 square miles of land and 376
square miles of inland waters. The temperature
in Colorado is diverse and varied, with summer
temperatures reaching as high as 106°F and
winter temperatures reaching as low as -20°F.
The average elevation of Colorado is 6,800 feet,
making it one of the nation’s highest states,
with general mountain living and international
skiing events occurring at 8,000 feet to 11,000
feet. Altitude also plays a role with
temperature as the mountainous areas have a
twenty to thirty degree variation in temperature
when compared to the Denver metro region. This
geographical distinction can and does impact the
state’s vulnerability assessments and ultimately
emergency incident response.
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) enhances
the ability of hospitals and health care systems
to prepare for and respond to all hazards and
other public health emergencies. The vision is
to create a prepared and integrated Healthcare
Preparedness Program, using all means available
that will enhance Healthcare Preparedness for
Colorado. The goals to reach the vision are to
integrate healthcare, centering on hospitals,
into the emergency preparedness arena; to create
the regional capability to handle surge capacity
for patient numbers equal to 10% of the hospital
bed population and to protect healthcare staff
from workplace exposures during an emergency
incident.
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