EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARCHIVES
Mass Evacuation of Medical and Functional Needs Populations
Bruce Clements
May 25, 2011
It is reasonable to expect that, when the population of a community – or nation – grows, the need for a mass evacuation of some type will grow at the same pace. That need increases exponentially, though: (a) when catastrophic weather events occur with greater frequency; and/or (b) in the
The Handling of Mass Fatalities During Medical Surges
Anthony S. Mangeri
May 25, 2011
The earthquakes, tornadoes, and terrorist attacks of the past several years have led to increased global awareness of the need to create, improve, and expand mass-casualty response capabilities. The most immediate emphasis, understandably, is on the saving of lives. But there also must be much greater attention, it says here,
The Expanding Role of Sanitarians in Public Health Emergencies
Rahul Gupta
May 18, 2011
Doctors, nurses, and other highly visible professionals get the greatest credit, deservedly, in most public-health incidents and events. Playing increasingly important roles, though – before, during, and after such incidents – are the nation’s unsung and much less publicized sanitarians whose special expertise in numerous operational scenarios is finally being
Hospitals & Fire Departments: Three-Alarm Fires, MSH & Best-Practice Results
Theodore Tully
May 18, 2011
A major fire in one of the nation’s finest hospitals led quickly to: (a) the massive evacuation of almost 450 patients; and (b) numerous follow-up meetings to find out what had gone wrong and how to handle such incidents more quickly, and more effectively, in the future. The end result
Staffing, Stockpiling & Surging Forward
Joseph Cahill
May 11, 2011
As most people know, it is impossible to be totally prepared, at all times, to cope with any and all disasters of any type and of any magnitude imaginable. But there are many common-sense steps that can be taken to lessen the impact of most if not all of the
Critical Issues Faced by MRC in a Special Needs Shelter
Amy Schmitt, Donald Brannen and Mark McDonnell
May 11, 2011
The chill wind that started on 31 January immobilized a major area of the country and brought ice, snow, sleet, and misery to 100 million Americans. Among the hardest hit were numerous special-needs patients, already incapacitated, waiting for help that came far too late or, in some cases, not at
Whole-Body Imaging: A Safe Alternative to the ‘Pat Down’
Aaron Sean Poynton
May 4, 2011
Several myths to the contrary notwithstanding, the new WBI passenger screening booths installed at U.S. airports to improve in-flight security are not only extremely safe but also both visually and morally unobjectionable. For those not convinced, there are other options, including a quick and unobtrusive pat down – in a
Public Health Monitoring Systems: Two ‘Good Stories’
Jennifer Smither
May 4, 2011
New Jersey calls on Hippocrates to help top officials cope with a major mass-casualty incident with significant international implications; the initial result was a burning success. In Tarrant County, Texas, NACCHO and school nurses put the emphasis on children in fighting the flu and both detecting and controlling the outbreak
Anatomy of a Bioterrorist Attack
Lou Banks
April 27, 2011
Many homeland-security professionals have warned that a bioterrorist attack not only could be more devastating, and longer-lasting, than a nuclear attack, but is also more probable. Moreover, the biowarfare capabilities of international terrorists have increased significantly in recent years. But so have U.S. detection and response capabilities and equipment. In
Dispensing a Higher Health Care Role to Pharmacists
Diana Hopkins
April 20, 2011
U.S. doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals are the best in the world – also among the most overworked. Fortunately, a greater share of the workload can be assumed by another highly trained & well educated group of medical professionals, the nation’s pharmacists – who also will play a
A Quick Return on Investments in Food Safety
Shari Shea
April 13, 2011
Question: Does a sausage leave a fingerprint? Answer: Well, yes, sort of – but not one detectable by the naked eye. Read here to find out how CDC, the APHL, PulseNet, and epidemiologists from five mid-Atlantic states worked hand-in-glove (literally) to crack “The Dangerous Case of the Fermented Sausage” in
Dollars and Sense: Budgeting for Emergency Services
Joseph Cahill
April 13, 2011
What is both fair and equitable? What is legally permissible? And how much of the total cost should be paid by the community at large? Those are but three of the difficult questions facing firefighters, EMS providers, and public officials as they seek to save lives, provide the public services
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