TFAH cites major problems with state pandemic planning

It is sad to say that reports like this no longer surprise us. Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a nonprofit group focused on disease awareness has released a study of state-by-state emergency preparedness capabilities and found that half of all states scored six or less on a scale of ten indicators. According to “Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism,” Oklahoma is the best prepared, while California, Iowa, Maryland, and New Jersey scored the lowest with four out of 10. “The nation is nowhere near as prepared as we should be for bio-terrorism, bird flu, and other health disasters,” said TFAH’s Jeff Levi. “We continue to make progress each year, but it is limited. As a whole, Americans face unnecessary and unacceptable levels of risk.”

The problems cited were varied but familiar to anyone aware of the limitations of the nation’s healthcare system. Twenty-five states would run out of hospital beds within two weeks of a moderate pandemic flu outbreak, TFAH found. Forty states face a shortage of nurses, rates for vaccinating seniors for the seasonal flu decreased in thirteen states, eleven states and the District of Columbia lack sufficient capabilities to test for biological threats, and four states do not test year-round for the flu — a necessary step in detecting a pandemic outbreak.

Most disturbingly, six states actually cut their public health budgets from fiscal year 2005 to 2006. The median rate for state public health spending, TFAH found, is a mere $31 per person per year.

The report offered a series of recommendations to help improve preparedness. These included:

BULLET POINTS

* Requiring the federal government to establish improved “optimally achievable” standards that every state should be accountable for reaching, with appropriate levels of funding provided to the states to achieve these standards

* Establishing temporary health benefits for the uninsured or underinsured during states of emergency. This would make sure that the uninsured and underinsured will seek treatment in times of emergency, helping to prevent the unnecessary spread of infectious diseases.

* Appointing a single senior official within the Department of Health and Human Services to be in charge of and accountable for all public health programs.

END BULLETS

TFAH’s report was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bauman Foundation.

-read more in this organization news release