Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness: Emerging Tools, Methods, and Strategies

Slide Presentation by Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H.

On April 29, 2002, Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H., made a presentation in a Web-assisted teleconference at Session 1, which was entitled "Enhancing Public Health, Health Care System, and Clinician Preparedness: Strategies to Promote Coordination and Communication."

This is the text version of Dr. Burstin's slide presentation. Select to access the slides or to access the streaming video of Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness.

Enhancing Public Health, Health Care System, and Clinician Preparedness: Strategies to Promote Coordination and Communication

Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H.
Director
Center for Primary Care Research
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Slide 1

What we hope to accomplish with teleconferences

• Review departmental plans related to State and local preparedness for bioterrorism.
• Present new research findings that may be useful to State and local areas.
• Opportunity for us to hear your needs and concerns related to bioterrorism preparedness.

Slide 2

Organization for Bioterrorism Preparedness

This slide shows a diagram of how the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal agencies, are organized to deal with Bioterrorism. There is a big oval with the Department of Health and Human Services in the center of the slide, and within that are the following agencies: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP). On the edges of the oval are four equally-sized smaller circles representing clockwise from the upper right corner: the Secretary for Homeland Securty, Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Slide 3

HHS Funding Initiatives for State and Local Preparedness

• CDC: support bioterrorism, infectious diseases and public health emergency preparedness providing a base award with a supplemental based on population.
• HRSA: States create regional hospital plans for bioterrorist attack based on formula funding used by CDC.
• HHS to Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS): will add 25 new cities to cover 80% of the U.S. population for local response to chemical and biological disease agents.

Slide 4

AHRQ's Role in Bioterrorism Preparedness

• Develop and examine the evidence on effective models of training and use of decision support for front-line clinicians.
• To develop models (e.g., regional plans, prophylaxis and immunization systems) that work and can be exported to State and local areas.
• Reinforce effective linkages between the health care system and the public health infrastructure.
• Assess health care systems preparedness and the impact on cost, quality and outcomes.

Slide 5

Improved Coordination

This slide shows two boxes—one labeled "Front-line clinical providers" and the other "Public Health Infrastructure," and there are arrows pointing between the two boxes. Below "Front-line clinical providers" is listed:

• Primary care clinicians.
• Primary care practices.
• Community health centers.
• Managed care organizations.
• Emergency Departments.
• Hospitals.

Slide 6

HHS Bioterrorism Preparedness: Addressing At Risk Populations

• Rural and frontier areas.
• Native Americans.
• Underserved populations.

Current as of June 2002

Internet Citation

Enhancing Public Health, Health Care System, and Clinician Preparedness: Strategies to Promote Coordination and Communication. Presentation by Helen Burstin at Web-Assisted Teleconference, "Enhancing Public Health, Health Care System, and Clinician Preparedness." Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/bioteleconf/session1/burstintxt.htm

Return to Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness Teleconference
State & Local Policymakers
AHRQ Home Page