Summary of Results from the 2016 National Health Security Preparedness Index

The National Health Security Preparedness Index tracks the nation’s progress in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and other large-scale emergencies that pose risks to health and well-being in the United States. Because health security is a responsibility shared by many different stakeholders in government and society, the Index combines measures from multiple sources and perspectives to offer a broad view of the health protections in place for nation as a whole and for each U.S. state. The Index identifies strengths as well as gaps in the protections needed to keep people safe and healthy in the face of disasters, and it tracks how these protections vary across the U.S. and change over time. Results from the 2016 release of the Index, containing data from 2013 through 2015, reveal that preparedness is improving overall, but protections remain uneven across the U.S., and they are losing strength in some critical areas