Citation

Desalvo KB. Ann. Intern Med. 2018; 168(6): 440-441.

Affiliation

University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas (K.B.D.).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American College of Physicians)

DOI

10.7326/M17-3240

PMID

29459975

Abstract

In 2005, the world watched in horror as government and the health infrastructure collapsed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (1). The United States responded by revamping its approach to preparedness, hardening the medical infrastructure, leveraging technology, and building community resilience. These changes resulted in a health infrastructure that performed significantly better during the 2017 hurricane season.

Since 2005, the United States has shifted to a proactive, all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness. This ensures that the health system is flexible enough to respond to a broad range of events, including natural, biological, chemical, radiologic, and nuclear events. The nation also has institutionalized cross-agency and cross-sector planning, clarified the role of the federal government in guidance and oversight, and recognized the need to support resilience...

Language: en