Preparedness progress: update on Minnesota hospitals.

Since 2002, all states have received federal funds for disaster preparedness through Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program grants. Minnesota has received dollar 19.4 million, which has been spent to improve communications and coordination among hospitals and emergency providers, purchase equipment and medications, and train staff. The Minnesota Department of Health, which administers the funds, recently assessed the state's level of preparedness, finding that the state is well-prepared for smaller events such as a chemical incident or a limited outbreak of an infectious disease. A catastrophic event such as pandemic influenza would likely overwhelm the state's systems and providers.