To the Editor:

I congratulate the American Medical Association on launching its new publication, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. The Department of Health and Human Services understands the importance of disseminating peer-reviewed studies and scholarly discourse in this rapidly evolving field of medicine.

As the United States prepares for and responds to diverse public health challenges such as pandemic influenza, emerging infectious diseases, the consequences of natural disasters, and acts of terrorism, it is crucial that our experiences become part of the evidence base that supports future plans and operations. By strengthening the scientific basis of public health and medical responses to disasters and other public health emergencies, your journal can contribute to the preparedness of our public health infrastructure and improved care for individuals in the event of a crisis.

The Department of Health and Human Services has recently reorganized its emergency preparedness activities under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Rear Admiral W. Craig Vanderwagen, US Public Health Service. ASPR is striving to integrate innovations from the academic, clinical, public health, and public safety communities into cohesive plans for national preparedness. The scientific literature, including Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, can play a pivotal role in this mission. Congratulations on publication of the first issue.

Michael O. Leavitt

Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services