The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has defined healthcare coalitions as: A collaborative network of healthcare organizations and their respective public and private sector response partners that serve as a multiagency coordinating group to assist with preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities related to healthcare organization disaster operations.
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) program was created in 2002 in response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to offer volunteer services in their community.