title: The Department of Veterans Affairs' role in Federal Emergency Management.
abstract: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been increasingly called on to provide disaster relief health care personnel and other emergency assistance since the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in emergency management was expanded by the Federal Response Plan in 1992. This article briefly reviews the VHA's emergency management functions currently specified by the Federal Response Plan and its present activities in procuring and maintaining antidotes, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical stockpiles to be used in response to terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. In view of VHA's national scope and extensive assets, its administration by the government, and its critical role in health professional training, there are several additional ways that VHA could economically augment the federal government's efforts to better support and prepare local jurisdictions for disasters or incidents involving weapons of mass destruction, if the required authorization and funding were provided.
authors.affiliation: National Quality Forum, Washington, DC, and National Programs, Emergency Management Strategic Healthcare Group, Department of Veterans Affairs, Martinsburg, WV, USA. kwkizer@qualityforum.org
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kizer
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Cushing
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Nishimi
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D004630:Emergencies; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D012066:Relief Work; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014754:Violence