News Release

One Year Later: Long-Term Recovery Efforts Underway in Puerto Rico

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary reviews progress

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr. Robert Kadlec met with Puerto Rico Commonwealth and local officials this week to discuss recovery progress over the past year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We know that recovery is a marathon and takes years, not months,” Dr. Kadlec said. “We will be with the people of Puerto Rico every step of the way.”

HHS Assistant Secretary Kadlec’s office, called ASPR, coordinates federal recovery support for locally led efforts in restoring public health, healthcare and social services networks after disasters. HHS leads efforts across 17 federal health and social service agencies engaged in the long-term recovery process.

“With great effort and coordination, the healthcare system in Puerto Rico is recovering steadily and is being enhanced with a new emphasis for preparedness and with greater capability to confront future disasters,” Secretary Rodriguez-Mercado said. “The help of the federal government has been crucial in this process. We are certain that many lives were saved during the emergency thanks to their efforts. We look forward to keep strengthening our ties so that our citizens are better prepared for any emergency.”

Over the past year, the ASPR Recovery Division, in partnership with FEMA and the government of Puerto Rico, has helped connect local health and social service organizations with additional financial and technical resources. The federal recovery support team has worked with hospitals, senior care, dialysis, school leaders, social service providers, emergency managers and local government in Puerto Rico to ensure they are aware of additional resources available for recovery efforts.

“While there is still much work to do, it’s important to note the progress and see how far together we have come,” said Capt. Betty Hastings with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and an ASPR recovery field coordinator. “Recovery is very complex work and can take a long time. Our role is to help local, territory and non-governmental organizations build capacity and capability for the long-term health and social service needs of Puerto Rico.”

Signs of progress and resources provided with federal health and social services recovery support include:

• 100 percent of hospitals in Puerto Rico are open and providing patient care.


• 2,000 teachers and social workers now are trained in psychosocial first aid to help children, teenagers, adults, and families in the aftermath of disaster. Through this course, the teachers and social workers learned how to spot the signs of stress in children and how to help them cope.


• Approximately 800 principals now are trained in emergency planning, how to recognize and help with students’ mental health, and in public health risks so they are better able to recognize students who need help now and support them and help schools become better prepared for the future disasters.

Environmental and Public Health Support

• Federal partners helped Puerto Rico Department of Families recover records contaminated by mold as a result of the storm.


• Federal agencies supported Puerto Rico Department of Public Health with life-saving diagnostic testing for tuberculosis and leptospirosis, and surveillance testing for influenza.


• HHS, FEMA, and non-government partners provided more than 68,000 vaccinations after Hurricane Maria and are working on more to support the upcoming flu season.

Health Care Support

• Recovery partners developed a set of digital tools, called Comprehensive Disaster Assessment and Readiness Tools (CDART), to enhance the Puerto Rico Department of Health’s capability to collect, monitor, and share critical “real-time” information. This previous process was manual. With the digital CDART, the Puerto Rico Department of Health can plan and make important decisions about disaster readiness and assess impacts more quickly after disasters. Similar online apps are being considered to assist other Commonwealth agencies, including senior living facilities.


• Federal partners helped develop the island’s first ever regional health planning and preparedness network.


• Federal partners also helped the territory create a database of critical healthcare facilities and develop an online mapping tool to track the operational status, preparedness level, and recovery of healthcare facilities.

Individual Assistance Support

• FEMA is addressing disaster-related unmet needs of individuals through the first ever Regular Services Disaster Case Management Program in Puerto Rico which provides survivors with a single point of contact to facilitate access to a broad range of resources.


• FEMA established the first-ever Voluntary Agencies Leading and Organizing Repair (VALOR) program to provide construction materials and equipment to voluntary organizations performing minor repairs to dwellings to help survivors return to their disaster-damaged homes.

Training Assistance

After a disaster, many local governments, social services organizations and healthcare providers may lack the ability to meet all the needs of their communities and do not have the funds to hire additional staff. Through training, federal recovery experts can help expand the knowledge and capability of local agencies, allowing them to better serve their community.

For example, recovery partners facilitated training of approximately 1,000 local social service providers who routinely serve the vulnerable populations of seniors and children. More than 90 local organizations were trained in emergency operations planning, continuity of operations, mental health preparedness, individual emergency preparedness and more.

The Path Forward

Puerto Rico continues to recover from one of the most devastating and costly hurricanes in U.S. history, and the road to recovery may be long. HHS and its partners are committed to helping the people of Puerto Rico recover, especially vulnerable populations such as children, seniors and those with disabilities. As part of the long-term recovery process, HHS will continue to work with federal and territory partners to help protect health and save lives when the next disaster strikes.

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