Sign Up Today for COTS University

COTS University is a new and growing website available to regional healthcare coalition partners to assist with their emergency preparedness training and exercise needs, and to share best practice opportunities. The site contains a training and exercise calendar, exercise documents and templates, training documents, just-in-time training videos, best practice templates, articles, and much more.  

Melissa Rose, the COTS Training and Exercise Planner, manages the site and is available to train healthcare partners on their role relating to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) grant as well as assist in meeting additional requirements, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Emergency Preparedness Rule. The ASPR grant is administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), granted to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). COTS, the grant subrecipient, coordinates meeting the ASPR capabilities through grant deliverables with the regional healthcare coalitions in central, southeast and southeast central Ohio.

Hospital Command Center OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital during the Riot at the Rallies Central Region Full Scale Exercise held on April 2, 2019.

The ASPR grant leads the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of emergencies and disasters (2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities, ASPR). At the local and regional level, hospitals, healthcare organizations, and other responding partners are members of the regional coalitions and plan, train, and exercise together. COTS University is a platform to accomplish our mission.

“The COTS University page and other resources have always been useful. However, recently I completed an interactive COTS Liaison training session. I now better understand the Healthcare Incident Liaison’s (HIL) role and how they can be helpful in an event or day-to-day. With in-class practice, I also learned how to better navigate the response tools. Information stood out that should really make some things easier for us when needed.”

Mark Huckaby, NRP | EMS Operations Coordinator OhioHealth

If you are a coalition partner and would like additional information, please contact Melissa Rose.

If you are interested in becoming a coalition partner please contact your local county healthcare coalition point of contact: https://www.centralohiotraumasystem.org/disaster-preparedness