National Disaster Medical System

National Disaster Medical System

Background on the Origins of NDMS

                Presidential Initiative

                                -1981 – Establish Emergency Mobilization Preparedness Board (EMPB)/Principle Working Groups

                                -Directed to Develop National Policies and Programs for Domestic Disasters and National Security Emergencies

What is NDMS

                Is a partnership of private and public sectors to provide care to the victims of great disasters. The system is being develop as a voluntary cooperative effort off our major Federal agencies, State and Local government, and the American professional and hospital communities. A combines Federal and non-Federal medical resources into a unified response to meet natural and man-made disaster needs, as well as support patient treatment requirements from military contingencies.

What Emergencies does NDMS Responses to?

·         Natural Disasters

·         Major Transportation Accidents

·         Technological Disasters

·         Acts of Terrorism

NDMS Function in Disaster

·         Assessment of Health and Medical Needs

·         Health Surveillance

·         Medical Care Personnel

·         Health/Medical Equipment and Supplies

·         Patient Evacuation

·         In-Hospital Care

·         Food/ Drug/ Medical Device Safety

·         Worker Health/ Safety

·         Mental Health Services

·         Public Health Information

·         Vector Control

·         Potable Water/ Wastewater and Solid Waste Disposal

·         Victim Identification/ Mortuary Services

·         Veterinary Services

Purpose of NDMS

                It was originally developed to supplement and support the medical care of evacuated military and civilian casualties from and overseas war. Now, it provides health services, health-related social services, other appropriate human services, and appropriate auxiliary services to respond to the needs of victims of a public health emergency. It supplement state and local medical resources during disaster or major emergencies. It also provides backup medical support to the DOD/VA medical care system during an overseas conventional conflict.

Objective of NDMS

·         To provide assistance to a disaster area in the form of medical assistance teams, supplies, and equipment,

·         To evacuate patient who cannot be cared for in an affected area to designated location elsewhere in the nation, and

·         To provide hospitalization in a national network of hospitals that have agreed to accept patients in the event of a national emergency.

Major Components of NDMS

1.       Medical Response

2.       Patient Evacuation

3.       Definitive Medical Care

NDMS Teams

1.       Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) - provides medical care during a disaster or other incident.

2.       National Medical response Team (NMRT) – provides mass decontamination and medical care to victims of a release of Weapons of Mass Destruction, or large scale release of Hazardous Material.

3.       Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) – provide victim identification and mortuary services during a disaster or other incident.

4.       National Veterinary Response team (NVRT) – provides assistance in assessing the need for veterinary services following major disaster or emergencies.

5.       Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) – recruit hospitals and maintain local non-Federal hospital participation in the NDMS and coordinate exercise development and emergency plans.

6.       National Pharmacy Response Team (NPRT) – assists in chemoprophylaxis or vaccination of large numbers of citizen in response to an emergency involving a disease outbreak.

7.       International Medical Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT) – widely recognized as a specialized team, trained and equipped to establish a fully capable field surgical facility anywhere in the world.

8.       National Nurse Response Team (NNRT) – A specialty DMAT designed for a scenario requiring hundreds of nurses to assist in chemoprophylaxis, mass vaccination programs, or situation that overwhelm the nation’s supply of nurses.

Importance of NDMS

·         Improves Federal Mission Readiness

o   Ability to Mobilize and Deploy Medical teams, Supplies, and Equipment

o   Ability to Provide Patient evacuation System

o   Ability to Provide Definitive Medical Care

·         Adds Value to America

Benefits of NDMS

·         Maximizes the Utilization of existing resources

·         Provides Identified Level of Care

·         Integrates Pre-Hospital Phase with Medical Facilities

·         Helps Contain Health Care Cost

·         Designed to Reduce Mortality and Morbidity