Infant and toddler life-sustaining feeding during disasters – via human milk and commercial infant formulas – requires a complex set of logistical and operational missions, including federal support and whole-community partnerships. Learn what organizations need to do.
The current albuterol solution shortage crisis could impact tens of millions of individuals, families, and frontline providers. This article shares some actionable steps the healthcare sector and its partners can take to remedy the shortage and mitigate damage.
Biosafety labs and lab leaks continue to be an area of discussion and concern, especially in a search for the source of SARS-CoV-2. It was international, but there are domestic risks too. This article explains how.
When a disaster strikes, responders face scenarios that deviate from normal routines, protocols, and resources. This newly proposed sufficiency testing and training guidance for disaster responders aims to prepare professionals mentally for these worst-case scenarios. By attempting to perform small but impossible tasks, participants begin to address the mental challenges they are likely to encounter during a crisis.
During a disaster, responders face many challenges and must make difficult decisions. For health care professionals, accepting a sufficient standard of care during a crisis may be the most difficult. This mental health perspective provides some key points to consider before the next crisis occurs.
When supply chains were diminished during the coronavirus pandemic, leaders had to find innovative ways to protect their communities. In Texas, they used the Pony Express model to ensure the delivery of personal protective equipment, critical supplies, and vaccines to those in need.
After-action reviews highlight the successes and expose the failures of disaster preparedness and response efforts. Four significant events demonstrate how communities managed when power outages, communication failures, and healthcare concerns emerged in their aftermath. Unfortunately, these same issues will resurface in future disasters unless lessons are learned.
The current monkeypox outbreak is different from historical outbreaks that remained endemic and rarely became international events. Now the situation is changing daily. This article explains what precautions are needed to prevent the spread and how new approaches should be implemented to tackle it.
During their service, military personnel acquire a broad range of lifesaving skills that are critical when on the frontline during wartime. Effective medical triage is one of the skills needed during combat and any major disaster or catastrophic event. Partnering with tribal and other civilian stakeholders, military veterans provided a unique perspective and training experience during a national-level exercise.
Although it may not have been readily apparent in early 2020, the federal government did have a comprehensive national strategy and implementation plan for a pandemic threat. Despite having these resources and knowledge, the United States was still unprepared to effectively respond to COVID-19. This article points out the preparedness gaps and the urgency to close them before the next major public health threat.
