The 2007 Statewide Disaster Collaboration Planning Meeting was held on Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18 at The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri.  The meeting was hosted by the Missouri Hospital Association in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Mid-America Regional Council and the St. Louis Area Regional Response System.

The overall purpose of the meeting was to enhance the ability of hospitals and other health care systems to prepare for and respond to bio-terrorism and other public health emergencies.

Priority areas for discussion included shifting focus from equipment to planning, partnerships and practice, reviewing key 2006 accomplishments such as mass casualty trailers, communication upgrades and training, as well as covering the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act and its subsequent priorities including integration, at-risk individuals and continuity of operations.  Another important priority was planning for surge capacity, (a large influx of patients in demand of medical services), which included important points such as hospital bed capacity, decontamination and communication and information technology.

Specific disaster-related events such as tornados, power outages, explosions and ice storms all occurred over the last year in Missouri.  Each has tested disaster response planning shedding light on successes and creating lessons learned.  The conference provided an opportunity to share experiences, address areas of improvement and further strengthen existing regional response plans.  The activation of special needs shelters, medical shelters and acute care centers was also discussed in detail.

Other organizations also invited to participate at the meeting were the State Emergency Management Agency, Missouri Alliance for Home Care, Department of Mental Health, Missouri Primary Care Association, MO-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, local public health agencies, long term care facilities, home care agencies, federally qualified health centers, emergency medical services and the Medical Reserve Corp.