The Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 killed tens of millions of people around the world, including over 670,000 Americans. The HIV/AIDS outbreak, which began in the early 1980s, has also killed nearly that many Americans. Each year, several serious outbreaks of disease in the United States are threatening to become epidemics, including the current measles outbreak. If it continues spreading, it might be among the worst outbreaks of all time.
There has not been catastrophic medical emergency in the country in years, partially thanks to the efforts of medical professionals working to contain any outbreak from spreading. But it could only be a matter of time before the next major epidemic strikes on U.S. soil.
It is impossible to gauge if, when, or how intensely events that can negatively impact our health will strike close to home. But the latest edition of the National Health Security Preparedness Index can give us some idea of how well each state is prepared for, protected from, and resilient to large-scale public health threats.
The NHSP index is broken down into six domains, each meant to measure a different aspect of emergency preparedness. In determining how prepared states are for medical emergencies, 24/7 Tempo considered the fourth domain, healthcare delivery, which measures, according to the report, actions to ensure access to high-quality medical services during and after disasters and emergencies. We listed the 20 states that received a score of 5 out of 10 or better in the healthcare delivery domain. These states tend to have better hospital systems, better EMT coverage, and better healthcare networks, all which would help better deal with a serious health crisis. It can be caused by one of these huge challenges Americans will face in the next decade.