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Nicole Lurie, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Christopher D. Nelson Public Health Preparedness: Evolution Or Revolution? Health Affairs, July/August 2006; 25(4): 935-945. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Reprints & Permissions]

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Evolution Now: Embrace NIMS

James D. Blair   ( 16 October 2006 )

Evolution Now: Embrace NIMS 16 October 2006
James D. Blair, President/CEO Center for HealthCare Emergency Readiness (CHCER) Send comment to journal: Re: Evolution Now: Embrace NIMS james.blair{at}chcer.org James D. Blair	We have observed the nation's strategy for Homeland Security readiness evolve from a Federal Response Plan (FRP) to prepare federal agencies to address terrorist threat to the National Response Plan (NRP) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), a strategy for all economic sectors of the nation to form a partnership in a united effort to prepare the nation for future terrorist attacks. The disastrous effects of Katrina on the Gulf Coast, in general, and New Orleans, in particular, set the stage for a reexamination of Homeland Security readiness and its focus on terrorism. The new strategy embraces an all-hazards readiness posture. The nonfederal health care sector, controlling 85 percent of the nation's health care delivery resources, has encountered many of the same challenges as those experienced by the public health community. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) focused its attention on the traditional emergency responder community: law enforcement, fire and rescue, and nonhospital-based emergency medical systems (EMS). The funding followed the focus. The recent DHS/DHHS guidance to the nonfederal hospital and health care systems direct the industry to adopt NIMS over the next two years or risk the loss of federal funding for Homeland Security readiness. Those elements of the larger health care and public health systems that fail to accept full partnership in the NRP will find themselves out of the nation's mainstream effort to respond to all-hazards events. Dealing effectively with the triple threats of emerging infectious diseases (pandemics); more robust natural disasters (Katrina); and the ever-increasing terrorist threats to the industry (nation-wide unexplained visits to hospitals) will require a new culture of readiness.