Community-based medical disaster planning: a role for the Department of Defense and the military health system.
The Department of Defense (DoD) historically has provided medical assistance after major disasters within the United States but the response is often limited, uncoordinated, and unplanned. Most local jurisdictions understand the value in planning, but lack the resources to consider low probability events, even those of a catastrophic nature. The authors brought together military and civilian emergency response planners from various agencies in the National Capital Region and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their conclusion was DoD and local jurisdictions should leverage DoD's planning expertise to develop a system of community-based medical response planning. Over the long term, the authors propose a new paradigm in medical response planning away from the traditional "respond-to-requests" approach to a "sense-and-respond" system that is scalable and more responsive to a wider range of national disasters.
Embrey
Ellen P
EP
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), 1200 Defense Pentagon, Room 3E1070, Washington, DC 20301, USA.
Clerman
Robert
R
Gentilman
Mark F
MF
Cecere
Fred
F
Klenke
William
W
D003153:Community Health Services; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States