Vision

To be the international center of excellence in medical readiness education, training, research and operations.

Mission

To integrate medical readiness into all aspects of healthcare, public safety, public health and homeland security systems.

Medical Readiness Components

Human Population Risk Assessment

The primary goal is to construct an applied theory of Healthcare System Planning for Disaster Reduction in the continental United States. This program will construct the model of Health Care System Planning for Disaster Reduction composed of pre-event analysis and system resource assessment. The model will match actual conditions identified in the 15 national planning scenarios identified by the United States Department of Homeland Security, and have broad application to a wide array of communities and geographic regions. This program will work collaboratively and closely with the public health system and the emergency management community. It will bring the clinical medical community into a closer alignment with the principles guiding these key disciplines.

Human Survivability Systems

One of the more difficult tasks in disaster medicine is creating and sustaining a continuum of care for the patients identified within the impacted area. At the peak of the emergency, traditional transportation, communications and even fixed facility operations, which are working at close to capacity in normal conditions, are damaged, and often the patient can get lost in an ad hoc attempt to provide makeshift treatment. The function of Human Survivability Systems is to examine methods and technologies which better support a patient-centric focus in disaster medicine. Specific areas include:

• Technologies and platforms that can not only locate a patient in a disaster environment, but also be able to assess his or her medical status.
• Doctrines that describe a scripted care process from point of injury to tertiary care. This doctrine also includes an escalating care and patient safety approach meaning that the level of care never diminishes along the continuum, but instead increases, as the patient is brought to safety. This doctrine is described in military practices, and the NCMR is partnered with key Air Force entities which can assist in development of a civilian parallel

Dynamic Medical Systems

Areas of concentration for this program currently focus on surge capacity and capability for health care systems in the state of Ohio. In times of catastrophic disaster or when local events tax our hospitals, WSU is preparing to deploy acute care centers (ACC) and neighborhood emergency help centers (NEHC) within Ohio’s eight Homeland Security Regions. Currently, WSU has excellent working relationships with the area hospital associations and the Ohio Department of Health. To date, $6.5 million dollars has been received in order to develop and implement these programs. Facilities at WSU are also being developed to house a logistics and supply facility utilizing over 50,000 square feet of warehouse space. Its purpose will be to maintain a state-wide supply and logistics chain for disasters.

Dynamic medical systems will also focus research attention on product development and testing, bio-defense and biosafety, guidelines for disaster medical operations and relationships with evolving areas of public health and clinical medicine.

Healthcare Systems Recovery

The devastation caused by natural or man-made catastrophes impacts the day-to-day operations of the entire nation. The 9/11 tragedy and recent hurricane disasters have prompted many healthcare organizations to reassess the integrity of crucial systems. Too little attention has focuses on appropriately identified crucial components of recovery.

Healthcare systems recovery will focus on identification of crucial components of health care systems required for recovery including operational issues, planning considerations, logistics needs and financial implications.

Functional Areas

Educational Programs

The Department of Emergency Medicine and the National Center for Medical Readiness were accredited in 2005 as the regional site for the National Disaster Life Support curriculum. These courses — being taught nationally — are being delivered across Ohio in order to provide additional members for the medical reserve corps. First responders and receivers will need constant updates as governmental agencies publish guidelines for the national incident management system, the national response plan and other homeland security directives. The educational programs will concentrate on workforce development and workforce continuing education.

Research

A research and development component is essential to support the medical readiness mission and will include areas of bio-defense and safety, human access care and evacuation and dynamic medical systems. Products currently utilized in the medical readiness community require testing, and new products will be developed based upon problems presented in the different programs.

Higher Education Project

Formal academic training in three focus areas will be developed. These areas include emergency services management (undergraduate and graduate), medical readiness (graduate), and disaster logistics (graduate). These programs will draw from the ranks of first responders, first receivers, emergency managers, public health practitioners, the military and the civilian sector. It is anticipated that many of these programs will be developed using distance-based learning and will rely heavily upon technology for delivery.

For more information, contact:
Bill Harchick, EMT-B, CPM
Assistant Director, Operations
National Center for Medical Readiness
1615 Springfield St.
Dayton, Ohio 45403

(937) 775-7625
Fax: (937) 775-7626
william.harchick@wright.edu