Hospital preparedness is a necessity, but only one in 20 hospitals are prepared for power disruptions. In its 10th annual “Ready or Not?” report, the Trust for America’s Health reveals that 35 states and Washington, D.C. scored a six or lower on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness. The report (http://www.healthyamericans.org/report/101/) found that while there has been significant progress toward improving public health preparedness during the past 10 years, particularly in core capabilities, there continue to be persistent gaps in the country’s ability to respond to health emergencies, ranging from bioterrorist threats to serious disease outbreaks to extreme weather events.
