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A health care emergency preparedness coalition (coalition) is a group of health care organizations, public safety agencies, and public health partners that join forces for the common cause of making their communities safer, healthier, and more resilient. Coalitions have been characterized as being focused on hospital systems instead of the health care of the community as a whole. We discuss 2 examples of coalition partners that use a more inclusive approach to planning, response, and recovery. The first is a large health care system spread across 23 states, and the other is a public safety agency in northeast Pennsylvania that took the lead to address the preparedness and response toward a large influx of burn patients and grew to encompass all aspects of community health care.

This paper examines the concept of community, and defines it in terms of boundaries, shared needs and social interaction. It considers types of community and the functions they perform. After discussing different community resources the paper concentrates on the resources of authority and legitimation, which may be achieved by the use of client involvement and general community representation. An empiric test of the connection between client representation and effectiveness is used to illustrate the value of involving clients, their families and other community representatives is community services such as home care.

Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center is strategically situated in culturally diverse Hollywood, Calif. The facility has formed coalitions with 25 churches to deliver healthcare and education throughout the community.