New report finds gaps in health system preparedness level | 11.08.2007 | 08:21:46 | Views: 5494 | ID: November 8 '07 Planning and communications gaps still exist among healthcare providers and "private physicians often are left out of heath care disaster plans that focus on hospitals and public health workers," a new report released by PricewaterhouseCoopers has found according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Released at the end of October, the report also found federal funding for disaster preparedness in decline. The report also found, the Union-Tribune reported, "that large states that are more vulnerable to disasters receive a disproportionately smaller share of the aid than less populous states. ... Dr. Jon Cohen, managing director of PricewaterhouseCoopers' health advisory services, said the report is intended to prod health care systems to do more disaster planning and drilling, federal and state governments to provide more resources for the work." Dr. Cohen told the Union-Tribune, "Everybody has a responsibility here. You can never plan enough. .. Funding is never going to be enough. It's a matter of prioritization." Officials in San Diego told the paper that though there has been decreased funding, there were bright spots in overall preparedness measures including communication and coordination during recent disasters as well as organizations improvements which have put local responders directly in touch with state and federal organizations.
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