Health Command Center Prepares for Regional Crises

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has built a multimedia command center in its Washington, D.C. headquarters that will allow it to be prepared for any serious health event across the country. A collaborative command and control center is powered by E Team software, which is also used by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.

In the February 2004 issue of SIGNAL magazine, Robert K. Ackerman says the facility serves both to present all the necessary information to a decision maker and to establish vital communication links to emergency responders during a devastating public health event such as a pandemic or a biological attack.

The department is made up of a number of health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. The command center is designed to serve as the secretary of Health and Human Services' (HSS) central point of information during a crisis, and can also help department officials remain informed and make key decisions during the same time.

The HHS center has also been working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, to develop a similar command center for the WHO. This center went online last month and will reach full operational status in May. It is designed to feature a public health surveillance system that can monitor health issues in its 193 member nations.

To find out more about the command center, and read Ackerman's full article, Click HERE>>