In the best of circumstances, healthcare organizations operate in a complex environment. This can be exacerbated when a community faces a local or national emergency, either natural, human-caused, or technological, that thrusts the healthcare system to the forefront of response and makes it the focus of recovery efforts. It is critical that the local healthcare community be actively engaged in the development of comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, training, and exercises to ensure that local organizations communicate and coordinate their mutual support in service to the community.