With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in full effect, the establishment of many new rules and regulations continue to bring significant changes to the America’s health care system. On November 18-19, 2013, the IOM Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events held a workshop to discuss how changes to the health system as a result of the ACA could impact medical and public health preparedness programs across the country.
It is unclear what impact these changes will have. There is a common notion that disaster preparedness is separate and distinct from everyday operations, affecting only emergency departments. However, catastrophic events can challenge both the private and public health spectrum. The implementation of the ACA provides an opportunity to consider how we can better incorporate preparedness into all aspects of day to day health care practices which are always evolving.
