| Description: | This monograph presents the findings from a series of surveys conducted by the National Health and Hospital Institute to determine the role of public hospitals during and emergency and identify concerns as well as activities. Findings indicate the public hospitals provide a disproportionate amount of emergency services compared to their non-public counterparts, their ability to respond to an emergency is dependent on internal readiness, they play a vital role in community preparedness, and that they provide care to most vulnerable populations despite limited resources for preparedness planning. The monograph also cites that public hospitals serve a high proportion of minority patients, many of which have limited English proficiency (LEP). |