Over the weekend, CBS News aired an important and timely segment examining the challenges millions of Americans face in accessing health care services due to insurance companies denying coverage for necessary tests and treatments.
This session, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Law Program and the Coordinating Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response, provides key information on federal public emergency law.
The Ready or Not? report by the Trust for America’s Health offers an independent evaluation of the U.S.’s public health readiness, highlighting progress and areas needing improvement. It reviews state preparedness levels, the federal government’s role, and suggests enhancements for emergency response capabilities. The report promotes accountability in the use of taxpayer funds for health emergency readiness and recommends transitioning to a strategic, capability-focused system for effective response to health crises, including disease, disasters, and bio-terrorism threats. It also emphasizes the need for transparency to allow policymakers to accurately gauge the nation’s preparedness.
Disruption is now the norm, and hospitals must be prepared to respond to multiple types of disasters – sometimes running simultaneous responses or prolonged incident command centers. Learn from an emergency preparedness coordinator whose hospital has opened HICS 17 times in seven years, responding to a wide variety of disasters. This session shares tips on engaging staff and leaders in a meaningful way to build a living, relevant emergency management program that has the strength to be flexible, adding resilience to your team to emerge stronger after disasters.