HHS Activates Public Health Team, Ready to Help as Hurricane Approaches

Sen. Brian Schatz announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has activated the Secretary’s Operation Center and staff and is standing by to support requests for public health and medical assistance, if needed, as the storm makes landfall.

“Our federal agencies are mobilizing and are ready to help,” said Sen. Schatz. “As the situation becomes more serious, the federal government will continue to prepare and residents should too.”

The mission of the Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC) is to coordinate the federal public health and medical preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The SOC maintains real-time situational awareness of incidents and events of public health significance.