About
Healthcare readiness, locally coordinated
Founded as the Miami-Dade County Hospital Consortium in 2006, the Miami-Dade County Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (MDCHPC) was built in response to the vital need for collaboration between health care and public health to prepare for emergencies. Guided by our mission, vision, and values, the Coalition strengthens Miami-Dade's health care preparedness and response capabilities to save lives, assisting the County in articulating strategic priorities and overseeing the development, execution, and strengthening of preparedness and response.
Our growth and transformation over the years have been fueled by the changing needs of the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement funded by Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR), lessons learned from real-world emergencies, and a commitment to innovating and preparing now for the evolving threats of tomorrow.
Today, the Coalition is proud to be the leading healthcare-focused, multi-faceted agency across healthcare, public health, and emergency response in Miami-Dade County.
We continue to adapt and respond to the diverse and changing needs of healthcare partners, the community, and patients. Whether responding to novel diseases, mitigating the impacts of extreme heat, or preparing for natural disasters, the Coalition has built the relationships, credibility, systems, and plans to ensure swift and effective coordination that saves lives.
Team Members
Board of Directors
Jose Lopez
Administrative Co-chair
Baptist Health South Florida
Irima Gonzalez, MD, RN, BSN
Public Health Co-chair
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County
Gerard Job, MD, FACEP, FAEMS
Clinical Advisor
Miami Dade Fire Rescue
John Caprio
Operations Co-chair
South Florida Regional Disaster Medical Response Team
Executive Committee
Clinical and Ethical Issues Co-chairs
Ana Viamonte Ros, MD, MPH
Clinical and Ethical Issues Co-chair
Florida International University
Security and Intelligence Co-chairs
Johany Acebal
Security and Intelligence Co-chair
Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Jesus "Jessie" Menocal
Security and Intelligence Co-chair
Baptist Health South Florida
Training and Exercise Co-chairs
Elyzabeth Estrada, CHEP
Training and Exercise Co-chair
University of Miami
Christina Chao-Morales, MA
Training and Exercise Co-chair
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade
Liaisons
Kulsum Agha
DEM Liaison
Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management
Victor Milian, Sgt.
MDPD Liaison
Miami Dade Police Department
Duane Pearson, Capt.
MDFR Liaison
Miami Dade Fire Rescue
Monica Calogne, LNHA, MT-BC
FHCA Liaison
Palmetto Subacute
Michael Zantua
CHC/FQHC Liaison
Camillus Health Concern
Purpose & Membership
Clear support for a coordinated healthcare preparedness network
Coordinate
Shared information, partner updates, and practical coordination support across healthcare and response agencies.
Prepare
Training, exercises, disaster drills, improvement planning, and readiness-focused education for members.
Respond
Operational resources, situational awareness, briefing support, and partner coordination during incidents.
Membership in the Coalition is open to all Miami-Dade and South Florida healthcare providers and partner organizations who agree to work collaboratively and coordinate emergency prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities.
Hospitals and health systems
Emergency medical services
Public health and emergency management
Long-term care and residential care
Behavioral health providers
Community clinics and outpatient care
Home health, hospice, dialysis, and specialty providers
Academic, nonprofit, faith-based, and private-sector response partners