APHA, AMA working together to improve responses to disasters.WITH a goal of strengthening the nation's health system preparedness pre·par·ed·ness n. The state of being prepared, especially military readiness for combat. Noun 1. preparedness - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them and response, a coalition of 18 health organizations led by APHA and the American Medical Association American Medical Association (AMA), professional physicians' organization (founded 1847). Its goals are to protect the interests of American physicians, advance public health, and support the growth of medical science. in June released 53 strategic recommendations for legislators, government officials and organizational leaders to more effectively prepare for and respond to catastrophic emergencies. The recommendations are included in a consensus report, "Improving Health System Preparedness for Terrorism and Mass Casualty Events." The recommendations serve as a national call to action from public health, medicine, dentistry dentistry, treatment and care of the teeth and associated oral structures. Dentistry is mainly concerned with tooth decay, disease of the supporting structures, such as the gums, and faulty positioning of the teeth. , nursing, hospitals and emergency medical services An Emergency medical service (abbreviated to initialism "EMS" in many countries) is a service providing out-of-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitutes a medical emergency. . The recommendations seek to strengthen disaster response and preparedness through increased funding, greater integration, continued education and training and ensured legal protection for responders. "For too long, public health and medicine have responded to emergencies in separate silos," APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP FACP Fellow of the American College of Physicians. FACP abbr. 1. Fellow of the American College of Physicians 2. Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists , said. APHA and the American Medical Association convened leadership summits in 2005 and 2006 to develop consensus recommendations to promote a coordinated national agenda for strengthening health system preparedness. The coalition is recommending that: * public health systems be appropriately funded to adequately respond to day-to-day emergencies and catastrophic mass casualty events; * public health and disaster response systems be fully integrated and interoperable The ability for one system to communicate or work with another. See interoperability. at all government levels; * health care and public health professionals maintain an appropriate level of education and training; and * health care and public health responders be provided and assured adequate legal protections in a disaster. "We can't predict when a disaster will strike, but as first responders first responder First response personnel Emergency medicine A person employed in the public sector–EMT, fire fighter, police, volunteer EMS–whose duties include provision of immediate medical care in the event of an emergency; FRs have basic emergency , we can better prepare ourselves and others to protect the health and safety of our patients and citizens," said American Medical Association President Ronald M. Davis, MD. For more information or to download a copy of the full report, visit www.ama-assn.org/go/disasterpreparedness. |
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