September 7th, 2005
HHS command center in place to deal with Katrina's health crises
Officials at the Dept. of Health and Human Services are using the high-tech Secretary’s Command Center in Washington, as well as a mobile command center based in Baton Rouge to respond to the health crises stemming from Hurricane Katrina, says an article in Information Week.
Systems at the command centers help government officials prepare for, monitor, and respond to health crises such as outbreaks of infectious diseases by analyzing data collected from many sources, including hospitals, public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the military, and others.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, former Health Secretary Tommy Thompson ordered the command center be built to help government officials prepare for and deal with health crises. Through the center’s systems, HHS officials can tell, for instance, which U.S. hospitals have available beds to treat injured victims of a disaster like the hurricane, or other crises such as terrorist attacks, chemical spills, or earthquakes.
"We’re using the command center for exactly what it was built for," says an HHS spokesman. Government officials use the command center every day to manage smaller crisis and keep tabs on the nation’s health issues, as well.
Public Health White Papers
- Public Health Information Technology Functions and Specifications (for Emergency Preparedness and Bioterrorism) - Citizens Development Corps
- Information Technology: Federal Agencies Face Challenges in Implementing Initiatives to Improve Public Health Infrastructure - Government Accountability Office
- Data Warehousing in a Public Health Environment - Scientific Technologies
- Information Technology: Reliable Information for Better Health Programs - Washington State Department of Health
- Information Technology: Reliable Information for Better Health - Washington State Department of Health
- A Review of Federal Bioterrorism Preparedness Programs From a Public Health Perspective - The Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Endogenous Longevity, Health and Economic Growth: A Slow Growth for a Longer Life? - University of Illinois
- CDC/ATSDR Information Technology Architecture: Executive Summary - Citizens Development Corps
- e-Government to Connect, Protect, and Serve Us - Council for Excellence in Government
- Health Care: National Strategy Needed to Accelerate the Implementation of Information Technology - Government Accountability Office
