§ 300hh–1.
(b)
Preparedness goals
The National Health Security Strategy shall include provisions in furtherance of the following:
(1)
Integration
Integrating public health and public and private medical capabilities with other first responder systems, including through—
(A)
the periodic evaluation of Federal, State, local, and tribal preparedness and response capabilities through drills and exercises, including drills and exercises to ensure medical surge capacity for events without notice; and
(B)
integrating public and private sector public health and medical donations and volunteers.
(2)
Public health
Developing and sustaining Federal, State, local, and tribal essential public health security capabilities, including the following:
(A)
Disease situational awareness domestically and abroad, including detection, identification, investigation, and related information technology activities.
(B)
Disease containment including capabilities for isolation, quarantine, social distancing, decontamination, relevant health care services and supplies, and transportation and disposal of medical waste.
(C)
Risk communication and public preparedness.
(D)
Rapid distribution and administration of medical countermeasures.
(E)
Response to environmental hazards.
(3)
Medical
Increasing the preparedness, response capabilities, and surge capacity of hospitals, other health care facilities (including pharmacies, mental health facilities, and ambulatory care facilities and which may include dental health facilities), and trauma care, critical care, and emergency medical service systems, with respect to public health emergencies (including related availability, accessibility, and coordination), which shall include developing plans for the following:
(A)
Strengthening public health emergency medical and trauma management and treatment capabilities.
(C)
Coordinated medical triage and evacuation to appropriate medical institutions based on patient medical need, taking into account regionalized systems of care.
(D)
Rapid distribution and administration of medical countermeasures.
(E)
Effective utilization of any available public and private mobile medical assets (which may include such dental health assets) and integration of other Federal assets.
(F)
Protecting health care workers and health care first responders from workplace exposures during a public health emergency or exposures to agents that could cause a public health emergency.
(G)
Optimizing a coordinated and flexible approach to the emergency response and medical surge capacity of hospitals, other health care facilities, critical care, trauma care (which may include trauma centers), and emergency medical systems.
(4)
At-risk individuals
(A)
Taking into account the public health and medical needs of at-risk individuals, including the unique needs and considerations of individuals with disabilities, in the event of a public health emergency.
(B)
For the purpose of this chapter, the term “at-risk individuals” means children, pregnant women, senior citizens and other individuals who have access or functional needs in the event of a public health emergency, as determined by the Secretary.
(6)
Continuity of operations
(7)
Countermeasures
(A)
Promoting strategic initiatives to advance countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any biological agent or toxin, chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent or agents, whether naturally occurring, unintentional, or deliberate.
(8)
Medical and public health community resiliency
Strengthening the ability of States, local communities, and tribal communities to prepare for, respond to, and be resilient in the event of public health emergencies, whether naturally occurring, unintentional, or deliberate by—
(A)
optimizing alignment and integration of medical and public health preparedness and response planning and capabilities with and into routine daily activities; and
(B)
promoting familiarity with local medical and public health systems.
(9)
Zoonotic disease, food, and agriculture
(10)
Global health security
([July 1, 1944, ch. 373], title XXVIII, § 2802, as added [Pub. L. 109–417, title I, § 103], Dec. 19, 2006, [120 Stat. 2835]; amended [Pub. L. 113–5, title I, § 101(a)], Mar. 13, 2013, [127 Stat. 162]; [Pub. L. 116–22, title I, § 101], title II, § 203(d), title III, § 303(a), June 24, 2019, [133 Stat. 906], 914, 935.)