BACKGROUND
NDMS Pilot Program Background
| Problem: The National Disaster Medical System likely lacks the capacity and interoperability to meet the medical surge capability required for a large overseas military conflict. |
Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to conduct a National Disaster Management System (NDMS) Pilot which will:
- Be conducted over five years at no less than five locations
- Establish partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit healthcare organizations
- Be conducted in collaboration with the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Department of Transportation
Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act reauthorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct an NDMS Pilot Program (Pilot) which:
- Now requires the NDMS Pilot (“may” vs “shall”)
- Designates the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs as “lead official for the design and implementation of the pilot…”
Uniformed Services University’s National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health was chosen to lead the Pilot
- Research Development Test & Evaluation funds provided to initiate the Pilot
- Primary staff recruited and hired for the Military-Civilian NDMS Interoperability Study
- Established an interagency working group and DoD working group
