Participants:  Emergency Care, Trauma Service, Critical Care, Protective Services, Members of Emergency Preparedness Committees, Public Information Officers, Hospital Administrators and Local, State and Federal Emergency Management Officials

Purpose:  Explain the new standards for Joint Commission, NIOSH and NIMS and their impact on hospitals' emergency management planning; Describe what external assets may be available to assist a hospital and how to optimally integrate them into hospital operations;  Describe internal issues a hospital might face during a disaster (behavioral health support for staff, information management during a crisis, the evacuation process) and understand the strategies to manage them successfully.