Hospitals...Public Health or Public Safety?

Hospitals...Public Health or Public Safety?
For years EMS personnel have found themselves torn between being part of public health or public safety. This identity tug-of-war has led to a certain lack of identity on the part of emergency medical services. The same problem is now being faced by hospitals and health care organizations.

Are hospitals part of public safety or public health? The answer is, both...based on public expectation. As much as traditional response groups train and prepare for disasters, they do so as part of their mission. The interesting fact is that hospitals are expected to manage the day-to-day events as well as the large scale event. The public expectation is that hospitals will be able to manage any crisis or disaster situation.