ABSTRACT
CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................................ 562 Obstacles to Preparedness........................................................................ 562 Critical Function..................................................................................... 563 Government Grants ................................................................................ 564 Proper Planning ...................................................................................... 565 Impact of Disasters.................................................................................. 566 Lifelines................................................................................................... 566 Surge Capacity ........................................................................................ 567 Disaster Drills ......................................................................................... 568 In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Support ............................................... 568 Conclusion.............................................................................................. 569 References ............................................................................................... 569
Introduction Hospitals have traditionally lagged behind other public service providers in their disaster preparedness. There have been many causes of this from a lack of funding to a lack of understanding of the role of the hospital. Efforts have improved in the post 9/11 world as hospitals have become more aware of the criticality of their continued functioning during and after a disaster event. However, though improvements have been made, hospital preparedness is still far from where it should be to properly care for the community after a catastrophic event.
