National Disaster Medical System

The system interacts with the private enterprise and civilian volunteers to ensure availability of resources to support medical services following a disaster that overwhelms the local health-care resources. The overall purpose of the system is to establish an integrated national medical response capability for assisting state and local authorities in dealing with the medical and health effects of major peacetime disasters. 

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Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness at http //www.hhs.gov/ophep/. What is the purpose of this agency Find the National Disaster Medical System (http //www.ndms.dhhs.gov/index. html). Why was this system developed, and what are the responsibilities of the teams How do you join a team How are teams notified of current national conditions ... 

Describe federal resources where nurses might volunteer, including the National Disaster Medical System, Medical Reserve Corps, and U.S. Public Flealth Service and its Federal Medical Shelters. 

The foundation of ESF 8 is the multiagency National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). Directed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the NDMS has the following three primary functional elements medical response, patient evacuation, and hospitalization. 

Wallace, A. G. (2002). National disaster medical system Disaster medical assistance teams. In D. Hogan J. L. Burstein (Eds.), Disaster medicine (pp. 133-142). Philadelphia Lippincott, Williams Wilkins. 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2006). National disaster medical system. Washington, DC Author. Retrieved June 20, 2006, from www.ndms.dhhs.gov... 

National Disaster Medical System, http //www.oep-ndms.dhhs.gov/... 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS), OEP, NATIONAL DISASTER MEDICAL SYSTEM ... 

Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) are components of the National Disaster Medical System within the US Department of Homeland Security. Each DMAT, containing professional and para-professional medical personnel supported... 

United States Department of Homeland Security, National Disaster Medical Systems. DMAT. http //www.oep-ndms.dhhs.gov/dmat.html (last accessed 3-26-06)... 

The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a section within the United States. DHS is responsible for supporting federal agencies in the management and coordination of the federal, medical response to major emergencies, such as acts of terrorism, including the potential use of chemical agents. Special teams available under NDMS include Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, Veterinarian Medical Assistance Teams, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams, National Nurse Response Teams, and National Pharmacy Response Teams (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site). 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site, National Disaster Medical System, http //www. ndms.fema.gov/ (accessed December 2006). 

The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) supplements state and local medical resources by delivering direct medical care to disaster victims. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) provide prehospital treatment. Sixty existing teams, some tailored to focus on pediatrics, bums, mental health, and other specialties, including mortuary services, are in place around the country. Like military reserve units, the teams are community-based and composed of local health providers who train on weekends. Twenty-one are fully deployable and can be on the scene in 12 to 24 hours with enough food, water, shelter, and medical supplies to... 

National disaster medical system A federally coordinated system that augments the nation s medical-response capability. 

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