Cambridge Public Health Department’s Advanced Practice Center for Emergency Preparedness leads the city’s public health disaster preparedness efforts. The Advanced Practice Center is also responsible for preparing Cambridge Health Alliance hospitals and primary care sites for major emergencies, and coordinating preparedness activities for Massachusetts Emergency Preparedness Region 4b.

In 2004, the Cambridge Public Health Department received a grant from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to become one of eight Advanced Practice Centers for Emergency Preparedness in the nation. 

The Cambridge Advanced Practice Center is a resource for both the city of Cambridge and the 27 communities in Region 4b as it develops plans and builds local and regional capacity for responding to public health emergencies, including bioterrorism.

The Cambridge Advanced Practice Center has made unique contributions to the field of public health emergency preparedness.  It has produced tools and resources that can be used by local public health departments throughout the country. In addition, the Advanced Practice Center is developing regional strategies for strengthening public health preparedness among communities that lack formal county or district governments.