While with the American Medical Association in 2012, we, along with recognized leaders in the area of preparedness and response published an editorial outlining a vision of evolving a Discipline of Disaster Medicine and Public Health bringing together all of the health professions. In the years following, that vision was pursued with the formation of the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health and given substance in the pages of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.
The Society has held three annual meetings and is preparing for its fourth. In planning for the meeting it became apparent that the Society has matured to the point that it must better express itself in terms of taking positions on issues, positions based on science and positions that can help to inform public policy.
With the 2018 Annual Meeting we will initiate this effort. We have selected a timely topic, Radiation and Nuclear, and will have recognized experts present the state of science on population health aspects followed by a discussion and formulation of recommendations to improve health system preparation and response.
We will also hold, in essence, our first formal society meeting with the establishment of concrete goals for the year as to growing the Society and the journal. To achieve this one of our paramount goals must be unifying the many small, disparate, associations, centers, working groups, etc., that all have common goals, better preparing for and responding to catastrophic events, but, unfortunately, lack the critical mass to translate efforts into effective public policy.
We have to appoint a permanent board and our first President and set the agenda for election of leaders by the membership going forward.
