Updated: 02/23/2004

Current Releases
General Information
AHA Disaster Readiness News

DHS launches program to spur sharing of critical infrastructure information

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a voluntary program designed to encourage organizations in the private sector, including hospitals, to voluntarily submit information about their critical infrastructures and systems to help reduce the nation's vulnerability to terrorism.  Information that qualifies under the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 will be protected from public disclosure. DHS said it would use the information to analyze, assess and secure assets and systems that, if disrupted, would threaten our national security, public health and safety, economy, and way of life.  Examples of critical infrastructures in hospitals could include physical assets, computer and information networks, supplies and materials, and processes, a DHS spokesperson said.

The procedures for implementing the program are described in an interim rule published in the February 20, 2004 Federal Register at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040220c.html under "Homeland Security Department."  DHS is accepting comments on the rule, effective today, through May 20. For more on the program, see the announcement at http://www.dhs.gov.

U.S. Government Accounting Office Report: Public Health Preparedness Response Capacity Improving, But Much Remains To Be Accomplished (February 12, 2004) - http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04458t.pdf

Recurring Pitfalls in Hospital Preparedness and Response article, by Jeffrey N. Rubin (January 2004) - http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/displayarticle.asp?article=101

Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Version 2 - (January 2004) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/guidance/

Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law "SARS Report for CDC" (December 2003) - http://www.instituteforbioethics.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -  DRAFT - Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) – (October 2003) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/sarsprepplan.htm

World Health Organization - Summary of the discussion and recommendations of the SARS Laboratory Workshop – (October 2003) - http://www.who.int/entity/csr/sars/guidelines/en/SARSLabmeeting.pdf

World Health Organization - Consensus document on the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) – (October 2003) - http://www.who.int/entity/csr/sars/en/WHOconsensus.pdf

2003 Delaware SARS Guidelines for Health Professionals  - (September 2003) - http://www.state.de.us/dhss/dph/files/sars100803.pdf

General Information:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Emergencies and Disasters - http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=446

Delaware Division of Public Health Bioterrorism Preparedness – Disaster Preparedness Kit - http://www.state.de.us/dhss/dph/bio/modules/disasterkit.pdf

Delaware Division of Public Health Bioterrorism Preparedness – Anthrax Public Health Information - http://www.state.de.us/dhss/dph/bio/modules/anthraxpublic.pdf

Delaware Division of Public Health Bioterrorism Preparedness – Ten Things You Should Know About Anthrax - http://www.state.de.us/dhss/dph/bio/modules/anthrax10things.pdf

AHA Disaster Readiness News:
 
 

The AHA's Daily News Service Disaster Readiness Headlines:

If there is some information which you would like to see added to this page, please contact Christine Pauley at the Delaware Healthcare Association at christinep@deha.org