Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) Program

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The San Bernardino County Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) Program includes a manual that provides detailed guidance to ICEMA, Department of Public Health (DPH), and Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) staff responding to medical and public health emergencies. The manual follows the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS), the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). The MHOAC Program is based on guidance described in the California Public Health and Medical Emergency Operations Manual (EOM) adopted in July 2011 by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). Prior to the EOM, Public Health and EMS agencies did not have a mechanism to coordinate services and response efforts at the local, regional and state levels for public health and medical emergencies. The EOM provides common operating procedures for use by all involved in the response. The San Bernardino County MHOAC Program used the EOM as the basis for developing the MHOAC manual that establishes procedures at the local level to strengthen coordination within the Public Health and Medical System during unusual events and emergencies that have public health or medical impact.