n Saturday, October 13, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness (COTEP) will present the panel “Are We Ready: 2007?” in Room 309 of Moscone Center South.

The panel will discuss “Roles for Anesthesiologists in All-Hazards Preparedness and Response.” William G. Horton, M.D., 2005-06 ASA Lansdale Public Policy Fellow, will chair the panel.

Analysis of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina led to a new National Response Plan that establishes a comprehensive all-hazards approach to enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents. The Department of Health and Human Services has been identified to lead the federal public health medical disaster response. The National Disaster Medical System has been placed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health for Preparedness and Response. Cmdr. Timothy Gruber of the United States Public Health Service will describe these changes.

Medical and specialty all-hazards preparedness and response education for physicians is provided through the American Medical Association National Disaster Life Support Education Consortium (NDLSEC). Jill A. Antoine, M.D., COTEP Chair and member of the NDLSEC Executive Committee, will discuss national educational initiatives.

Each state’s all-hazards preparedness and response is outlined in an emergency operations plan. Murray A. Kalish, M.D., M.B.A., a member of the Maryland State Emergency Medical Services Board, will discuss state preparedness and response and roles for anesthesiologists.

The organization of local and county emergency medical services will be discussed by Paul H. Barach, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of South Florida.

Each hospital disaster plan outlines the preparedness and response role of the facility within the state, county and municipality. Hospital and department disaster plans are a hospital accreditation requirement. Hospitals also need to develop continuity of operations plans to be followed in the event of a disaster. Alvin Hackel, M.D., of the Stanford Medical Center Office of Service Continuity, will suggest possible roles for anesthesiologists.

Each individual anesthesiologist has a role in their department disaster plan and in their community response to disaster. J. Kent Garman, M.D., President, Stanford Medical Center Staff and a member of the Half Moon Bay Medical Reserve Corps, will outline these opportunities.

Regina P. Benson, D.O., an anesthesiology resident at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, will present “All-Hazards Preparedness and Response in Resident Education” and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Core Competencies.

The panel will emphasize the essential importance, to every anesthesiologist, of knowledge of the national, state and local all-hazards disaster preparedness and response system.

William G. Horton, M.D., is Emeritus Physician, Virginia Mason Clinic, Seattle, Washington.