Naval Medical Center Portsmouth as Federal Coordinating Center, National Disaster Medical System: An Analysis of Activation Preparedness
Abstract
Emergency Management has been around in our country for more than two centuries and, during that time, has undergone significant changes. However, it was in the days following September 11.2001 that the U.S. realized that the threats America faces today are much greater than those faced in previous years. The threats posed by terrorism could prove to be more than our current system can handle. New legislation created Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) that were strategically placed Veteran's Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) hospitals, which could be called upon to set up receiving centers and accept patients from other areas in response to a man-made or natural disaster. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) is the designated FCC for the Hampton Roads region of Southeast Virginia. As such, NMCP understands and recognizes the need to be prepared for the possibility of being activated to receive patients. This paper analyzes the preparedness of NMCP to be activated under the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), and compares NMCP's full-scale drill to FCCs that have been activated for real world events.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 21, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA516585
Entities
People
- Maverick A. Whittaker
Organizations
- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth