Health Systems

Hospital Decontamination: Many Questions, But Few Answers From "two-lane" decon lanes to high-tech detection equipment and personal protective gear, most U.S. hospitals are behind the curve in preparing to deal with mass-casualty decontamination incidents. What can be done about it? read

The Design of the Future U.S. Hospital System U.S. healthcare officials, working in close cooperation with long-range planners & political decision makers, are already pondering what the nation's future hospital infrastructure should look like. Here are some ideas to consider. read

Mass-Fatality Management Planning - A Hospital Perspective Most U.S. hospitals & other healthcare facilities focus their efforts on saving lives & helping those who are seriously injured. The handling of the dead, sometimes a large number at the same time, is a different but almost equally important skill. read

Greater Responsibilities, More Recognition for Hospital Emergency Managers The healthcare failures during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina received more publicity than the many unpublicized successes. Nonetheless, a new look at hospital emergency management was obviously needed, and is now well underway. read

Hospital Emergency Management: The Anatomy of Growth Prior to 11 September 2001 the term "emergency management" was more an abstract theory than an operational mandate. Today it is a full fledged profession, particularly in hospitals & other medical facilities, so must be factored into all major planning. read

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Public Health

New Radiological Tool Kits Available from CDC A major upgrading of state and local abilities to respond to radiological emergencies is now possible, thanks to CDC's development and production of two new on-the-scene tool kits. read

CDC's Career Epidemiology Field Officer Program The innovative CEFO Program represents a new national resource that is already being used by 21 states to strengthen their own epidemiological preparedness capabilities, with other states sure to follow in the near future. read

The Gap Analysis Tool: Building Blocks for Preparedness Best-case estimates provide a shaky foundation for all-hazards disaster plans; worst-case estimates may cost more in the short term, therefore, but are a better working tool for post-incident response and recovery efforts. read

Politics and Science: A Glowing Combination? How does a democracy work? Not always quite the way it should, particularly when substantive evidence has been presented for only one side of an issue and the media compensates by giving more, and more favorable, publicity to the other side. read

Military and Civilian Burn Management: Lessons Learned The U.S. military and civilian medical communities mingle, mix, and learn from one another, particularly in the highly specialized, but extremely important, field of burn care. read

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