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HHS moves to center of preparedness Medical centers will be moved to the top of emergency response entities under a change issued by the secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services this month.   The HHS notice published in the Federal Register July 6 primarily realigns the functions of the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP) to more clearly delineate responsibilities for the various activities associated with advanced research and development, acquisition of medical countermeasures, and emergency preparedness and response. The move also encourages state and local emergency planning entities to incorporate medical facilities in their emergency response planning for all-hazards events.   The changes mean that OPHEP leads the federal public health and medical response to acts of terrorism or nature, and other public health and medical emergencies. OPHEP is responsible for ensuring a one-department approach to developing public health, medical preparedness and response capabilities, and leading and coordinating the relevant activities of the HHS operating division (OPDIV).   The principal areas of program emphasis are: enhancement of state and local public health and medical preparedness—primarily health departments and hospitals; development and use of national and departmental policies and plans relating to the response to public health and medical threats and emergencies; coordination with relevant entities inside and outside HHS such as state, local and tribal public health and medical officials, the private sector, the U.S. departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Justice, the Homeland Security Council (HSC) and National Security Council (NSC), other partner organizations and others within the national security community; rapid public health and medical support to federal, state, local and tribal governments who may be responding to incidents of national significance or public health and medical emergencies; coordination, support of and participation in research, development and procurement activities related to public health emergency medical countermeasures destined for the Strategic National Stockpile, including those under Project BioShield; leadership in international programs, initiatives and policies that deal with public health and medical emergency preparedness and response related to naturally occurring threats such as infectious deceases and deliberate threats from biologic, chemical, nuclear and radiation sources; and leadership and oversight on medical, science and public health policies, issues, and programs. The notice emphasizes roles of the assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (ASPHEP), who reports directly to the secretary, and includes the offices of the ASPHEP; Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures (OPHEMC); Preparedness and Emergency Operations (OPEO); Medicine, Science and Public Health; and Policy and Strategic Planning.   ASPHEP is the principal advisor to the secretary on matters relating to public health and medical emergencies, whether resulting from acts of nature, accidents or terrorism. The ASPHEP coordinates interagency interfaces between HHS, the HSC, the NSC, other federal departments and agencies, state, local and tribal public health and medical entities and the private sector.   OPHEMC undertakes public health modeling of population exposures to assist in determining requirements and assessing deployment and utilization strategies, supports late-stage medical countermeasure research and development to address prioritized requirements for addressing the health effects of naturally-occurring infectious diseases and deliberately released biologic, and chemical and radiation threats that could cause a public health emergency, facilitates collaboration among HHS agencies, relevant industries and academia. Friday, July 14, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.