The National Disaster Medical System is an asset sharing partnership designed to provide emergency medical assistance to States following a catastrophic disaster or other major emergency. The system is designed to care for victims of any incident that exceeds the medical care capability of the effected local and State resources. The Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with other Federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency administer the program. The NDMS has three primary objectives:
- To provide health, medical, and related social services response to a disaster area in the form of medical response units or teams and medical supplies and equipment;
- To evacuate patients who cannot be cared for in the affected area to designated locations elsewhere in the nation; and
- To provide hospitalization in Federal hospitals and a voluntary network or non-Federal acute care hospitals that have agreed to accept patients in the event of a national emergency.
A Very Special Thanks to Capt. William Hess, LCDR Billy Rowell, and Woody Groton at PHS-1. |