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How prepared are we for a health emergency?
Maryland gets high marks on report card for
health emergency readiness
BY MARISA NAVARRO
Capital News Service
Maryland is one of the best
states in the nation when it comes to preparation for health
emergencies such as bioterrorism, but it still has a long
way to go, according to a report released in December by the
Trust for America’s Health.
"The fact that the score was [high] is really good,
but that doesn’t mean we’re finished," said
Maryland Homeland Security Director Dennis Schrader. "We’re
going to keep hustling and continue to get better."
Maryland was one of only four states (along with California,
Florida and Tennessee) to earn a score of seven out of 10
in the organization’s report. More than half the states
scored between three and five.
The report evaluated each state on various criteria, including
its public health funding, whether it has a biosafety laboratory
that could identify and stop the spread of health threats
such as anthrax, and whether it has a plan to deal with these
emergencies. The report noted that Maryland increased overall
health spending by 3 percent between fiscal years 2002 and
2003, and upgraded its biosafety laboratories.
But the report stated that Maryland, like most states, does
not have the manpower to administer emergency vaccinations.
And it stated that less than half of federal money allocated
for health emergency preparedness actually made its way to
local health departments.
Two years ago, Congress allocated $2 billion to battle bioterrorism,
but that money goes to states first and local health departments
later.
"What happens is a lot of money gets gobbled up in the
bureaucracy," said Heather Moeder Molino, a spokeswoman
for Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-Cockeysville).
"By the time it gets to the county, half of it’s
gone."
However, Molino said Ruppersberger is still trying to get
more federal money for emergency response, and he cosponsored
a bill to establish national guidelines for emergency preparedness.
Shelley Hearne, executive director of the Trust for America’s
Health, agreed with Ruppersberger. After nearly two decades
of neglecting the public health system, $2 billion is not
enough to boost the nation’s preparedness level, she
said.
"We have a long way to go, and there’s no indication
that Congress can pat itself on the back and walk off,"
Hearne said.
The trust describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
that focuses on disease prevention and public health. Board
members include academics, hospital executives and officials
from state and local health departments around the country,
among others.
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