Copyright (c) 2008 Berkeley Electronic Press All rights reserved. http://www.bepress.com/jhsem Recent documents in Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management en-us Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:45:19 PDT 3600 http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/29 http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/29 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:15:53 PDT Significant concerns exist over the ability of the healthcare and public health systems to meet the surge demands that would result from an event such as an influenza pandemic. Current guidance for public health planners is largely based on expert opinion and may lack connection to the problems of street-level public health practice. To identify the problems of local planners and prepare a state-level planning template for increasing health care surge capacity that accounted for these issues, a study was conducted of local pandemic planning efforts in thirteen counties, finding that cognitive biases, coordination problems, institutional structures in the healthcare system, and resource shortfalls are significant barriers to preparing and implementing a surge capacity plan. In addition, local planners identify patient demand management through triage and education efforts as a viable means of ensuring adequate capacity, in contrast to guidance proposing an increased supply of care as a primary tool. George H. Avery Public Policy/SocietalIssues http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/28 http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/28 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:17:11 PDT Over the past few years the American Red Cross has been undergoing a massive organizational transformation, particularly in its Disaster Services operations. To facilitate this transformation the Disaster Services Human Resource System has been redesigned to focus on two strategic principles; services delivered to constituents and implementation of the tenets of competency-based management. This article reports the organizational transformation resulting from the redesign of the Disaster Services Human Resource (DSHR) System and the intended impact of the new DSHR System on American Red Cross Disaster Services. Progress in implementing the new DSHR System throughout the American Red Cross is also discussed. Marvine P. Hamner Emergency Management