H-CORE is a permanent, nimble organizing entity to ensure synchronization of medical countermeasure efforts across the federal government. Housed within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), H-CORE brings together government experts to partner with public health and industry stakeholders to fast-track solutions to health security threats.

H-CORE works in partnership with other entities across ASPR such as the Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Center for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) as well as other HHS and interagency partners to deliver countermeasures to the American public while solidifying an enhanced capability to respond to future public-health threats.

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is a critical part of the federal medical response infrastructure. The SNS holds large quantities of emergency medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplies to protect the public from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as emerging infectious diseases and pandemics.

Many of these medical countermeasures are unique to the stockpile and not available elsewhere, making the SNS an essential resource for both large-scale emergencies and smaller targeted responses. The SNS serves as a safety net when state and local resources are exhausted or when critical medical products are not available on the commercial market during an emergency. 

ASPR's Center for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) works through public-private partnerships to create diverse, agile public health supply chains and sustain long-term U.S. manufacturing capabilities. IBMSC invests in medical product industrial base capacities that ASPR can use to respond to future public health emergencies. IBMSC coordinates medical industrial base supply chain resiliency efforts across ASPR, federal partners, academia, and the private sector to operationalize solutions and practices for response and recovery operations.

The Center for the Biomedical  Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) provides an  integrated, systematic approach to the development of the necessary  vaccines, drugs, therapies, and diagnostic tools for public health  medical emergencies such as chemical, biological, radiological, and  nuclear (CBRN) accidents, incidents and attacks; pandemic influenza  (PI), and emerging infectious diseases (EID).  


Together with its industry partners, BARDA promotes the  advanced development of medical countermeasures to protect Americans and respond to 21st century health security threats.

The Center for Response coordinates public health and healthcare response systems and activities with relevant federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and international communities under the National Response Framework and Emergency Support Annexes #8, #6, and #14.

The Center for Response provides oversight and guidance to the Office of National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) and supports localized management of the federal public health and medical response through the Federal Health Coordinating Official. In addition, the Center for Response serves as an important liaison function to other agencies engaged in federal response activities. 

The Center for Response includes the following components: the Office of Regional Response; the Office of Response Logistics; the Office of National Disaster Medical System (NDMS); and the Office of Community Mitigation and Recovery.