Typical Roles Of Healthcare Coalitions In A Regional Area

Many locations across the country have a healthcare coalition at work behind the scenes, but a lot of community members have no idea just what a healthcare coalition does or why it is valuable to have these organizations in place. The truth is, healthcare coalitions work to benefit the greater good of a community. Take a look at some of the usual roles of a healthcare coalition in a regional area so you can better understand how valuable these organizations are to the community.

The healthcare coalition works together during emergency situations. 

One of the greatest roles of a healthcare coalition in a regional area is to work together during community emergencies. For example, the healthcare coalition will step up to make pertinent decisions regarding the health of the community if there is: 

  • a major outbreak of illness or disease in the area 
  • a natural disaster that affects the health of many community members 
  • an attack that injures many community members

In these times of crisis, the healthcare coalition will work to make sure care is available for all members of the community and proper planning is executed to inform everyone of health-related situations. For instance, a healthcare coalition may make a plan to educate the public about avoiding contracting diseases from contaminated water after a major flood. 

The healthcare coalition works to provide care when demand is high. 

In situations when more community members need healthcare than what is locally available, the healthcare coalition will work with outside networks and providers to bring in extra help for the community. This may include contacting healthcare providers in neighboring counties to "borrow" staff members or supplies to continue to provide the level of care needed locally. These situations can come up during natural community disasters, but they can also occur during major flu outbreaks as well. 

The healthcare coalition builds a strong supporting foundation for healthcare in the community. 

Once a healthcare coalition is formed in one region, there is usually great effort to create a major foundation of support for the community's healthcare needs. The coalition may create a network of providers by creating new healthcare facilities, working to attract certain healthcare providers, and building a good infrastructure of networked providers in the geographic location. This often leads to an interconnected system of healthcare providers that operate under one group name, but having this interconnected system helps patients get every level of care they need. 


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