Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 1
Southwest Florida Healthcare
Preparedness Coalition Charter
Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 2 Mission Statement
The mission of the Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition is to develop and promote the healthcare emergency preparedness and response capabilities of Lee County.
Purpose
• Provide a forum for the healthcare community and response agencies at the
local level to interact with one another and promote emergency preparedness.
• Foster communication between local, regional, and state entities on
community-wide emergency planning and response.
• Improve overall readiness through coordination of community-wide training
and exercises.
• Promote preparedness in the healthcare community through standardized
practices and integration with other response partners.
• Identify local healthcare assets available during a response.
• Identify gaps in the healthcare community’s ability to effectively respond to
an incident.
• Assist emergency management and Lee County EOC Health and Medical
Branch.
• Facilitate communication, information and resource sharing.
Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 3 Membership
The healthcare coalition comprises a Steering Committee, General Membership, and Trusted Partners. Standing committees and ad hoc committees will be determined by the General Membership as needed.
Steering Committee
The purpose of the healthcare coalition Steering Committee is to determine issues the Coalition shall address, make recommendations to the Coalition membership on community-wide emergency related matters, coordinate the regional approach to community-wide emergency planning, training, and response, coordinate the fiscal matters for programs managed by the Coalition, and periodically ensure that the effectiveness of the Coalition is evaluated. The Steering Committee will consist of the following elected positions: Chair, Vice Chair/Treasurer and Secretary.
Elections shall be held annually in the second quarter of the year at the regular General Membership Coalition meeting. Special election may be called at any meeting to fill prematurely vacated Steering Committee positions. To be eligible to stand for election to the Steering Committee an individual must be a member of the General Membership and have attended 75% of Coalition meetings annually. All officers will serve for a term of 2 years.
Chair – The Chair shall provide the direction and leadership for the Coalition. He/she shall act as chairperson of all Steering Committee and Coalition
meetings; be available to the membership for information exchange concerning the Coalition; serve as the official representative and spokesperson of the
Coalition; and assume additional duties from time to time and as appropriate to facilitate the function of the Coalition.
Vice Chair/Treasurer – The Vice Chair/Treasurer shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair; serve as the liaison to outside agencies at the direction of the Chair; and perform other duties assigned by the Chair. The Vice
Chair/Treasurer shall work with the fiscal agent, to be named, to coordinate the collection of any revenues associated with the Coalition activities to include, but not limited to, grants, contracts, donations, contributions, and approve and track the Coalition’s financial matters in coordination with the Chair and fiscal agent, and will provide quarterly reports to the Steering Committee and General Membership on the status of the Coalition’s account balances, revenues, and
Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 4 expenditures. All funding allocations must be signed off on by the Chair and the Vice Chair/Treasurer. At the completion of the Vice Chair/Treasurer’s two year term, he/she shall move into the role of the Chair.
Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for the production and distribution of agendas and minutes for Coalition meetings, maintain representative contact list, and other administrative functions as needed.
General Membership
Membership in the healthcare coalition shall be extended to the following Essential Partner agencies, institutions, and community-wide emergency response related disciplines within Lee County:
• Hospitals (including Acute Care, Rehabilitation, and Psychiatric)
• Emergency Medical Services Providers
• Emergency Management/Public Safety
• Long Term Care Providers
• Public Health
• Mental/Behavioral Health Providers
• Hospital and Medical Associations
• Specialty Service Providers (including, but not limited to: dialysis centers, urgent care facilities, ambulatory surgical centers)
• Support Service Providers (including, but not limited to: laboratories,
blood banks, pharmacies)
• Primary Care Providers
• Community Health Centers
• Tribal Health Centers
• Federal Entities (including, but not limited to: VA hospitals, Department
Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 5 Trusted Partners
The Coalition shall recognize other agencies in the community as Trusted Partners. Trusted Partners are those members who are not considered Essential Partners per ASPR guidelines, but are invited to attend meetings, receive copies of agendas and minutes, and participate in trainings and exercises. They are eligible to vote. Below are examples of Trusted Partner agencies.
• Funeral Homes
• Military (National Guard)
• Medical and Nursing Schools
Standing Committees
Standing Committees will be created based on a vote of the General Membership to address ongoing topics or issues. The number of members will be determined by the Steering Committee. Each Standing Committee will elect a Chair, who will provide quarterly reports to the Steering Committee and General
Membership on the activities related to the Committee.
Ad Hoc Committees
Ad Hoc Committees of the Coalition will be appointed by the Steering
Committee as the need arises. Each Ad Hoc Committee will elect a Chair and the life of the committee will be determined by the matter under consideration. The committee will be disbanded when the purpose has been served. The number of members will be determined by the Steering Committee.
Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Coalition shall be held at least quarterly on the 2nd Thursday of
the designated month, unless modified by the Chair. Each meeting shall follow a predetermined agenda established by the Chair in consultation with the Steering Committee, which shall be made available to the General Membership at least 5
business days in advance of the meetings. Minutes of the meetings shall be taken by the Secretary and retained for a period of not less than 2 years.
Southwest Florida Healthcare Preparedness Coalition Page 6 Voting
Voting is restricted to Active Coalition Members. Active Coalition Members are defined as those people who have attended 75% of Coalition meetings annually. Each attendee gets one vote if they have met attendance requirements. There is no maximum number of votes per agency or organization.
Actions in a meeting shall be determined by a simple majority vote (excepting bylaw changes).
Amending the Bylaws
Amendment of these bylaws may take place at any meeting of the Coalition by a two-thirds majority vote of all Active Coalition Members provided a copy of such proposed amendment(s) are distributed at least 30 days in advance of such meeting, and attached to the written notice for that meeting. If two-thirds of all Active Coalition Members who are eligible to vote are not present at the Coalition meeting where such action is initiated, then the polling may be completed by email within 30 days.
