Hospitals: Always There, Ready to Care

The tragic Paris terrorist attacks reminds our country of the important work that the women and men of America’s hospitals do every day to keep our nation safe. That’s because we’re prepared, not only for the expected but also the unthinkable. Hospitals accept the challenge of being “Always There, Ready to Care” and devote considerable time and resources to preparedness activities. We’ve seen this demonstrated time and time again, and this is just one of the many essential public services we provide to our communities. The departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services coordinating council for the health care and public health sector sent a message to hospitals this week, pointing out early recognition and reporting of potential terrorist activity is the first line of defense against those who would do harm to communities and critical infrastructure, such as our hospitals. We encourage hospitals to review the DHS notice and their response plans.