Medical Operations Coordination Cell (MOCC)

SRDRS is working to develop medical operations coordination to address surge capacity with partners across the Southeast. SRDRS is committed to the development of a Medical Operations Coordination Cell (MOCC) that removes operational and technical barriers to participate in a regional surge management dashboard by leveraging daily functional tools.

Facilitating Real-Time, Cross-State Hospital Coordination During Disaster Response 

The HHS Region 4 Medical Operations Coordination Cell (MOCC) is a regional coordination initiative developed by the Southern Regional Disaster Response System (SRDRS). Built within the Epic electronic health record platform, the MOCC enables hospitals across the eight states of Region 4 to securely share situational awareness, coordinate interstate patient transfers, and manage surge capacity during disasters, public health emergencies, or other critical events. 

 

Purpose and Mission 

The Region 4 MOCC was created to fill a vital gap in regional healthcare preparedness and response: timely and secure coordination of hospital resources across state lines. When local or state systems are overwhelmed, the MOCC enables rapid, interoperable communication between healthcare facilities to support safe, effective patient movement and load balancing. 

 

The system supports regional resiliency by: 

  • Identifying real-time bed and resource availability across state borders 
  • Coordinating patient transfers between hospitals with clinical precision 
  • Enhancing visibility into regional healthcare system strain 
  • Providing a centralized, one-call solution for disaster medical coordination 

 

How It Works 

The MOCC is embedded within the Epic EHR and uses a dedicated dashboard, secure messaging tools, and built-in Epic functionality to: 

  • Push patient transfer requests from hospitals experiencing surge 
  • Allow receiving facilities to view transfer candidates and respond in real-time 
  • Track patient handoffs and maintain audit trails for transparency and compliance 

When It’s Activated 

The MOCC is designed for use during major regional events that exceed local response capacity, such as: 

  • Hurricanes and severe weather 
  • Mass casualty incidents 
  • Pandemics and infectious disease outbreaks 
  • High-complexity patient transfers requiring specialty care unavailable in-state 

  

User Access and Security 

Each participating hospital controls its own access to the MOCC dashboard. Users are granted permissions by designated Epic site administrators. Every user interaction is logged to ensure privacy, accountability, and HIPAA compliance. 

 

Implementation and Support 

Hospitals interested in joining or enhancing their MOCC capabilities can refer to our Implementation Guidelines and coordinate with SRDRS for technical support and onboarding. 

 

Why It Matters 

The Region 4 MOCC is not just a tool, it’s a regional commitment to proactive, coordinated disaster response. By strengthening cross-state communication and aligning with national best practices, the MOCC ensures that no hospital in Region 4 faces disaster conditions alone. 

 

Future Project Goals 

To ensure readiness, the MOCC will conduct: 

  • Annual regional operations-based drills and exercises  
  • Role-specific Epic training for clinicians, coordinators, and transfer teams 
  • Just-in-time training resources during activation 
  • Ongoing integration with state and local preparedness systems 
  • Coordination with EMS stakeholders for integration into the Epic dashboard 
  • For non-Epic sites, future support through HL7/ADT feeds is under development. 

 

Hospitals not using Epic can still participate via Epic CareLink or HL7 data integration, making the MOCC flexible and scalable for future growth. 

 

Learn More 


                                                       

 

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