DISASTER PREPAREDNESS RESOURCE:
University of Florida. The Disaster Handbook: National Edition. Gainesville, FL: UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, 2008 Update. Accessed at: http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/
HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS STANDARDS IMPROVE:
Suburban Emergency Management Project. "Hospital Emergency Standards Enhanced: A Good Model Gets Better". Biot #525. June 5, 2008. Accessed at: http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=525
Excerpt: "The Accreditation Committee of the Joint Commission issued the new emergency management standards because of the dire need to improve health care organizations' capacity to manage patients, staff and facilities during disasters, such as the Tropical Allison urban flood (2001) and Hurricane Katrina (2005); both weather events literally drowned hospitals." READ MORE
FY 2008 AND 2009 NIMS IMPLEMENTATION OBJECTIVES FOR HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS The Incident Management Systems Integration Division, National Preparedness Directorate, FEMA, released a June 10, 2008 "NIMS Alert" (see following excerpt):
The 14 NIMS Implementation Objectives for Healthcare Organizations are:
- Adoption of NIMS
- Federal Preparedness Awards
- Revise and Update Plans
- Mutual-Aid Agreements
- IS 700 NIMS, ICS 100 and 200
- IS 800B NRF (National Response Framework)
- Training and Exercises
- Interoperability incorporated into Acquisition Programs
- Standard and Consistent Terminology
- Collect and Distribute Information
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- Include Incident Action Planning and Common Communication Plans
- Adopt Public Information principles
- Public Information can be gathered, verified, coordinated and disseminated
READ MORE on this NIMS Alert.
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY AT MASS GATHERINGS: A NEW ROLE?
Suburban Emergency Management Project. "Public Health Security at Mass Gatherings: A New Role for the Domestic Intelligence Community?" Biot #527. June 8, 2008. Accessed at: http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=527
Excerpt: "The opportunity for an intentional or unintentional infectious disease outbreak at domestic non-NSSE mass gatherings suggests the need to create a new program that involves the domestic intelligence community in addition to the public health and health care sectors, say the authors of the "Public Health, Safety, and Security for Mass Gatherings" Report produced for the Committee on Homeland Security (US House of Representatives)."
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Health Agencies Release Blueprint for Disaster Preparedness in Minority Populations. RWJF News Digest: Public Health. June 11, 2008. Accessed at: http://www.rwjf.org/publichealth/digest.jsp?id=7980&c=EMC-ND141
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health (OMH) and a panel representing more than two dozen leading public health and health care agencies and organizations released the nation's first detailed consensus statement for public health disaster preparedness in minority communities.
PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNERS CONTINUE TO SEE PROBLEMS WITH FED PANDEMIC PLANS:
As the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues to move forward with its pandemic preparedness and response guidelines, authorities at state and local levels, and in the private sector, are voicing not infrequently substantive objections to some of the guidance. HSToday.us has heard from a number of public health sector authorities who have expressed reservations over HHS's policies for using antivirals, for instance-a problem recently discussed in HSToday.us's "Kimery Report." READ MORE...
FLOOD VICTIMS WORRY: WHAT'S IN THE WATER?
The floodwaters that deluged much of Iowa have done more than knock out drinking water and destroy homes. They have also spread a noxious brew of sewage, farm chemicals and fuel that could sicken anyone who wades in. READ MORE...
