Disaster readiness: Doctors can register their credentials with national platform

The incidence of emergencies and disasters has increased steadily since the 1980s. In 2023, the U.S. experienced a deadly wildfire in Maui and Hurricane Idalia in Florida. More recently, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are struggling with historic flooding following Hurricane Helene.

Physicians can register their credentials with Provider Bridge, a free national platform that maintains a comprehensive registry of health professionals that can be accessed expeditiously by individuals and organizations engaged in preparing for and responding to local, regional, or national emergencies or public health crises.

Provider Bridge is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via a grant.

Physicians who join Provider Bridge can create and own a time-stamped, digital report (“passport”) that includes their name, provider type, professional school and graduation date, NPI, state license number(s), specialty or area of practice, and DEA registration(s) as well as any disciplinary history. Each license is verified via data sharing with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Provider Bridge allows entities, including state medical and nursing boards, hospitals, health care institutions, public health offices and emergency management entities to search for verified medical professionals who are willing to assist in an emergency, deploy to a disaster site, or provide telehealth services. Additionally, entities can verify the credentials of state-based registrants as well as those professionals in other states.

Physicians can register with Provider Bridge here.

Once a physician registers for Provider Bridge, there are no additional steps to take. Physicians can generate a certified pdf of their passport to present at an emergency site. Health care entities can add registrants to their provider list, pull Provider Bridge passports, and contact providers (unless a licensee chooses to opt out of allowing entities to find their profile).  In the event of a national or state emergency, an entity can reach out to providers to determine if they are available and willing to provide health care services.

More information is available on the Provider Bridge website.