RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Conclusions: Using the 2010 Statewide Exercise in California as an opportunity to develop our research framework,

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articlewe characterized several aspects of the public health and medical system’s response to a standardized emergency scenario. From a research perspective, this study provides a potential new framework for conducting exercise-based research. From a practitioner’s perspective, our results provide a starting point for preparedness professionals’ dialogue about expected and actual organizational roles, responsibilities, and resource capacities within the public health system. Additionally, the identification of specific challenges to inter-organizational communications and information management offer specific areas for intervention