About MHOAC

The Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) Program is authorized by the California Health and Safety Code Section 1797.153.  The MHOAC position represents the single point of contact for the MHOAC program and is responsible for monitoring and ensuring adequate medical and health resources are in place during a local emergency.  The MHOAC is authorized to make and respond to requests for mutual aid from outside of San Mateo County.

During non-emergency operations and the initial phases of an emergency, the MHOAC Program operates in a duty officer mode and is on-call 24/7. Once the San Mateo County Health Department Operations Center (Health DOC) is activated, the MHOAC Program functions can be distributed to various positions within the Health DOC. The MHOAC may also be at the County EOC as the Medical Health Branch Director.

If you are a first responder or medical/health organization representative and need to talk to a public health representative regarding an emergency situation, such as multi-casualty incidents (MCIs), MHAOC requests, threats to the medical and public health system or medical and mutual aid requests, call the MHOAC directly by logging into ReddiNet and calling the individual listed under System Contacts. If you are not able to get through to the contact through this manner, please contact dispatch at 650-363-4905 and request to be put in touch with the EMS Duty Officer/MHOAC On-Call.

MHOAC Responsibilities 

The MHOAC is responsible for ensuring the operational effectiveness of 17 mandated functions:

1. Assessment of immediate medical needs
2. Coordination of disaster medical and health resources
3. Coordination of patient distribution and medical evaluations
4. Coordination with inpatient and emergency care providers
5. Coordination of out-of-hospital medical care providers
6. Coordination and integration with fire agency personnel, resources and emergency fire pre-hospital medical services
7. Coordination of providers of non-fire based, pre-hospital emergency medical services
8. Coordination of the establishment of temporary field treatment sites
9. Health surveillance and epidemiological analyses of community health status
10. Assurance of food safety
11. Management of exposure to hazardous agents
12. Provision or coordination of Behavioral/Mental Health services
13. Provision of medical and health public information and protective action recommendations
14. Provision or coordination of vector control services
15. Assurance of drinking water safety
16. Assurance of the safe management of liquid, solid, and hazardous waste
17. Investigation and control of communicable disease