A year ago, anthrax-tainted letters raised the issue of disaster preparedness and public health. Yet many people inside the US public health system say they-re coping with daily disasters, brought on not by terrorism, but by budget constraints. Los Angeles and New York are facing severe cutbacks, and public hospitals and clinics nationwide are operating in the red as they try to care for the millions who rely on it daily for both emergencies and basic health needs. How crucial to homeland security is the public health system? We examine the failing condition of the US public health system with doctors, representatives of local, state and nationwide healthcare systems, an epidemiologist from the Centers for Disease Control and a health policy expert from the Cato Institute.
Guest hosted by Jeffrey Kaye of public television-s
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (The complete version of this discussion was originally broadcast originally September 18, 2002 on
To the Point.)
- Newsmaker: Security Changes Ahead for LAX
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport have big plans for demolition and construction, not to expand passenger capability, but to increase security. David Stone, who is in charge of security at LAX for the US Transportation Security Administration, previews new plans for detection checkpoints and baggage screening, and predicts how those changes will affect passenger flow, air travel and airport concessions.
American Hospital Association
EMTALA: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
LA County Department of Health Services
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
