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Disaster Preparedness and Response

Health professionals from across the spectrum of specialization must become better prepared to respond to all disaster situations, whether natural, accidental or terrorism-related. The public good and the very security of our nation depend on our rising to this challenge.

• Recent disasters have exposed a nationwide shortage of appropriately trained physicians, nurses and support personnel to call upon in time of national crisis



• The Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) and the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) and its medical teams, have been stretched to the limit in dealing with the devastation along the Gulf Coast



• There are insufficient professional resources in the NDMS system for long-term, sustained medical relief operations



• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has recognized disaster preparedness as a compelling priority in 2006

American Board of Disaster Medicine

The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) determined that a new board of certification in disaster medicine should be an integral component of a national disaster preparedness strategy. Therefore, the ABPS has organized and is developing our nation’s first such certifying board, the American Board of Disaster Medicine The goal of the American Board of Disaster Medicine is to foster, coordinate, build, and facilitate partnerships between disaster medicine specialists and all levels of government and the private sector.

• An entirely unique undertaking in the history of medicine in the United States as the first medical board to offer certification in disaster medicine



• Will seek to integrate the best each medical specialty can offer to improve disaster preparedness / response Managed by board of 17 physicians including public members representing diverse medical specialties



• Applications for board certification in disaster medicine available May 1, 2006



• Administering first certifying examination in the fall of 2006



• Committed to constantly advancing the science and practice of disaster medicine

To download a copy of the American Board of Disaster Medicine News Release, Click Here.