Activity Description
The Institute of Medicine convenee a standing committee for Department of Homeland Security’s, Office of Health Affairs (OHA). The standing committee includes experts in emergency management, emergency medical services, public health and medicine, community resiliency, economic development, and socio-cultural sciences to discuss issues related to short- and long-term strategic planning on community-based integrated response and recovery systems. The standing committee maintains surveillance of the field, discusses planning and program development efforts, and serves as a focal point within the Institute of Medicine and National Academies for potential ad hoc studies related to a) the establishment of a community based integrated medical response and recovery system and the networking of each community based system into an organized regional system; b) emergency response and recovery activities and gaps; c) capacity and gaps in the capability of the federal, state, and local authorities to respond to catastrophic health events; and, d) current capabilities of the Metropolitan Medical Response System model and how this model and these capabilities may fill existing gaps.
In this process, the standing committee may provide a public venue for communication among government and the academic community, as well as other relevant stakeholders involved in emergency services. Further, as needed, the standing committee will be involved in the planning, development, and oversight of related ad hoc activities undertaken by separately appointed committees operating under its auspices.