From Crisis to Capable: 5 Lessons from the LTC Rise Grant Program

When COVID-19 made its way into long-term care (LTC) communities in Pennsylvania, it exposed gaps in their preparedness and business continuity efforts. In response, federal and state funding was provided, including the Long-Term Care Resiliency, Infrastructure Supports, and Empowerment grant known as the LTC RISE. The grant focused its efforts on 3 main areas:

• Long-term care facility workforce resiliency

• Infection prevention and control and emergency preparedness

• Sustainable outbreak response operation

For our part, HAPevolve was tasked with enabling meaningful investments in emergency planning, infection prevention, and workforce readiness in long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania.

As the grant concludes, let’s reflect on what we learned, and how LTC providers can sustain that progress. While the program is ending, the need for preparedness remains.

What the LTC RISE Grant Made Possible

Through the LTC RISE grant, HAPevolve partnered with long‑term care providers to make emergency preparedness more practical and useful, not just something done for compliance. The work helped participating facilities build preparedness into everyday their everyday operations.

Many facilities updated their Emergency Operations Plans to be more realistic and easier to use during real events. Preparedness was also better connected to infection prevention efforts, including surge planning, staffing challenges, and PPE needs.

The grant supported hands‑on training and exercises, like tabletops and gamified training, that helped staff understand their roles, build confidence, and find gaps before emergencies happen. The monthly tabletop exercises we facilitated proved to be one of the most impactful and utilized resources we offered.

Providers also strengthened relationships with local emergency management and public health, improving coordination ahead of real‑world situations.

Overall, LTC RISE helped create a stronger preparedness culture, with more leadership involvement, greater staff awareness, and preparedness becoming a regular part of how organizations operate.

Key Lessons Learned throughout RISE

1. Preparedness must be operational, not just documented

2. Leadership engagement and buy-in drives success

3. Ongoing effort is more effective than one-time updates

4. Integration across functions/departments is essential; emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility

5. Training, especially hands-on, improves real-world response

   
   

The Risk of Losing Momentum

As funding ends, competing priorities and limited resources may slow progress. But the risks facing LTC providers like infectious disease, severe weather, and staffing shortages haven’t gone away.

Organizations are better prepared than they were in 2020 but maintaining that readiness requires continued focus.

Moving Forward

The LTC RISE grant showed what’s possible with the right investment and focus. The next step is sustaining that momentum.

Preparedness isn’t a one-time initiative. It’s an ongoing discipline. HAPevolve is proud to have supported this work and remains here to help LTC providers stay ready, resilient, and prepared for what comes next.