THE NEXT LEVEL: SPOTLIGHT ON ENTREPRENEURS
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN DISASTER STRIKES?
Imagine the unthinkable…Contagious
It depends. “While our federal, state and
disease spreads like wildfire throughout the
local governments, as well as the private
“Anything you say in
United States, or a deadly toxin is released
sector and healthcare community have
into the population on a Sunday morning. taken steps in the right direction, our
advance feels alarm-
Would our health system be able to handle
level of preparedness remains a work in
the sudden demands on its infrastructure by
progress,” Frank J. Cilluffo, director of
ist, but anything
Homeland Security Policy Institute at
Monday, or would it still be fumbling in the
George Washington University told the
dark the following weekend? Find out how
we have done once
U.S. Senate earlier this year. “It is not yet
one company is incorporating homeland
where it needs to be.”
a pandemic starts
security preparedness strategies into
day-to-day business.
seems inadequate.”
Imagine the unthinkable: a contagious
—Michael Leavitt, Secretary,
disease spreads like wildfire throughout
U.S. Department of Health
the United States, or a deadly toxin is
and Human Services
released into the population on a Sunday
morning. Would our health system be Dr. David L. Dalton, who, as president
able to handle the sudden demands on and CEO of UNIVEC, the Baltimore,
its infrastructure by Monday, or would it MD-based company which manufactures
still be fumbling in the dark the following and distributes medication and equip-
weekend? ment to 50,000 pharmacies, would be
Dr. David L. Dalton, president & CEO, actively involved in providing supplies to
UNIVEC disaster-impacted areas. His other com-
“While our federal,
pany, Health Resources Inc., is the only
Health and Human Services Secretary African-American owned and operated
state and local gov-
Michael Leavitt seconded this assessment. pharmacy benefit management firm in
“When it comes to pandemics, we are the U.S.
ernments, as well as
overdue. And, we are under-prepared,”
he warned in April 2006. He went on to “We have contingency plans in place,
the private sector and
deliver a frightening prediction: If the such as a stockpile of inventory that
United States were to have an outbreak is perpetually available and rotated to
healthcare communi-
today comparable to the 1918 influenza ensure freshness, as well as logistics to get
pandemic, 90 million Americans would the supplies to the disaster area quickly
ty have taken steps in
get ill; 45 million would become sick by helicopters or other means,” he says.
enough to require serious medical atten- “We are constantly training personnel
the right direction,
tion; and roughly two million would die. on disaster preparedness, and all our
computers have backups in real time and
our level of prepared-
An obvious frustration of preparing for are geographically distributed to prevent
possible disasters, Secretary Leavitt added, any delay in operations or information
ness remains a work
is that “Anything you say in advance feels transfer. We have to be prepared for the
alarmist, but anything we have done once worst.”
in progress,”
a pandemic starts seems inadequate.”
And many agencies are, at least on paper.
So should we be worried? There is good The Department of Health and Human
— Frank J. Cilluffo, director Home-
news and not-so-good news about our Services Centers for Disease Control and
land Security Policy Institute, George
nation’s readiness to deal with disasters. Prevention maintain a large quantity
Washington University
of antibiotics, antidotes and other vital
“If a disease outbreak happens, we can medications and equipment geared to
keep it localized and contained,” says current predictable threats. Known as the
40 USBE & Information Technology I January/February 2007
http:www.blackengineer.com
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