Health Care Coalitions in Ohio and Arkansas Lead Comprehensive Preparedness Planning and Community Outreach Efforts for “The Great American Eclipse”

Arkansas and Ohio 

April 2024   

On April 8, 2024, the skies darkened as a total solar eclipse cast its shadow across the United States. While millions gazed in awe at the rare event, three health care coalitions (HCCs)—the West Central Ohio Healthcare Preparedness (WCO HCC), the Central Ohio HCC, and Arkansas' Northcentral HCC—worked diligently behind the scenes to prepare their communities were an emergency or disaster to strike during the eclipse.

As thousands of people traveled to areas with higher eclipse visibility, preparation was key to supporting local communities. Central to this preparation were HCCs, networks of local health care and response organizations partnering to support emergency response. ASPR's Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) supports the WCO, Central Ohio, and Northcentral Arkansas HCCs, along with hundreds of others across the nation. With the support of HPP funding and guidance, HCCs unite health care and emergency response partners to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats and emergencies by emphasizing a comprehensive, community-focused approach. HCCs also use HPP funding to invest in preparedness and response resources like patient tracking dashboards and mobile broadband kits. As the nation prepared for the rare solar event, HCCs and their partners assembled plans, protocols, and resources to prioritize the safety of all residents and visitors. 

To prepare for an influx of over 1.5 million visitors across Ohio, the WCO HCC and the Central Ohio HCC organized, planned, and collaborated with partners. Both coalitions focused on preparing their regions to handle the expected surge  
of visitors and any potential disruptions. Their efforts, which began more than two years prior to the eclipse, involved numerous health care organizations, emergency management agencies, local health departments, and other key partners. 

To prepare, the WCO HCC drew upon lessons from past emergencies, such as the 2019 Memorial Day Tornados and the Oregon Dis trict Shooting. The HCC organized multiple meetings, assessments, and exercises, including presentations on previous eclipse events, a meeting with representatives from major broadband companies , and county-specific Incident Action Planning Templates to inform placement of staff and resources. On the day of the eclipse, every county in West Central Ohio opened or partially opened its Emergency Operations Center. Using the Ohio Emergency Management Agency Ohio-Specific Eclipse Event Dashboard, the WCO HCC used technology that tracked planned events and real-time traffic, ensuring that resources were optimally allocated should an emergency occur. The careful planning combined with increased technological capabilities enabled the WCO HCC to handle an influx of visitors without disrupting day-to-day health care services.

Similarly, the Central Ohio HCC proactively tackled logistical challenges, such as adjusting staffing schedules and ensuring early resource deliveries to minimize disruptions during the eclipse. They pre-positioned mobile clinics in key counties to bolster health care capabilities and provided extensive public messaging to manage visitor expectations and traffic. The Central Ohio HCC used statewide patient tracking dashboards, which prompted all hospitals in the area to report bed availability data twice daily . They also held calls with planning partners to share new information and address emerging issues in real time , prioritizing situational awareness among all involved parties before, during, and after the event. 

Meanwhile, Arkansas' Northcentral HCC demonstrated a comprehensive and collaborative effort in preparing for the eclipse. Their efforts, too, began months in advance and focused on community engagement and education, along with distributing resources in key locations. HCC representatives conducted over 20 workshops and training sessions across the state , educating the public on eclipse safety and preparedness and outlining additional resources available. The HCC also coordinated with local clinics, positioning mobile medical units in areas of Arkansas expected to experience high visitor traffic . They further used their mobile communications trailer – a resource purchased with HPP funds – as a mobile command center . The mobile command center provided advanced communication capabilities, including a secure network for voice and data communications, automatic dispatch consoles, and radio capability, all of which helped the Coalition, and its partners have continuous connectivity even if traditional networks failed.  

Taken together, the WCO HCC's use of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency's dashboard and Arkansas' Northcentral HCC's deployment of a mobile command center showcased the roles of technological integration and resource allocation in mitigating potential crises during the eclipse. This, long with the HCCs' proactive public education and coordination with local agencies created a blueprint for managing future mass gatherings and events.   

The solar eclipse was more than just a special event; it was an example of the power of HCCs. Enabled by HPP guidance and funding, these HCCs established key partnerships, built comprehensive preparedness plans and community education efforts, and coordinated resources to mitigate potential surge or interruption in communication . The coalitions' efforts will continue to support and inform future mass-gathering planning and response efforts. The Ohio and Arkansas coalitions' stories highlight the importance of HCCs as a leader of community-centered disaster planning, collaboration, and resource allocation.