The University of Washington Center for Disaster Resilient Communities, in partnership with the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, convened a meeting of military, healthcare, public health and emergency management partners on June 10, 2025, to address gaps in preparedness for a sustained medical surge event. The goal was to generate innovative, research-informed ideas to bridge those gaps.
Over the past several months, the CDRC has reviewed regional plans, after-action reports and other relevant documents, and conducted interviews with 20 local experts to identify key areas for improvement. These findings helped shape the agenda and focus of the meeting.
Fifteen local, state and federal partners participated in the session, working collaboratively to develop site-specific project proposals aimed at improving information management, patient movement coordination and supply chain resilience. These proposals will inform the development of a site implementation plan that prioritizes recommended interventions to enhance the region’s medical surge capacity and capability.
The meeting was part of the National Disaster Medical System Pilot Program, a collaborative initiative involving local, state and federal interagency partners. UW faculty members Resham Patel and Nicole Errett lead the Puget Sound field implementation team for the pilot program, based at the CDRC, which aims to strengthen national and site-specific capabilities to respond to sustained medical surge events requiring coordinated military and civilian efforts. Puget Sound is one of seven sites nationwide participating in the pilot.