Washington, DC --The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is making public a National Strategic Plan for Emergency Department Management of Outbreaks of Novel H1N1 Influenza. This will help the nation's emergency departments and first responders plan for and manage the surge in H1N1 flu cases that may arrive as early as September.

"Emergency physicians and first responders are on the front lines of any public health disaster, which is why we have taken the lead on developing a plan for how to prepare for and respond to a pandemic," said Nicholas Jouriles, president of ACEP. "When H1N1 first hit the United States this spring, we saw big surges in patients, many of whom had been sent to us by their primary care physicians. We know the ER is the place people turn to in a medical crisis, and we are dedicated to being prepared for the worst case scenarios, even as we hope they will not occur."

The National Strategic Plan for Emergency Department Management and Outbreaks of Novel H1N1 Influenza was produced under contract to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Emergency Care Coordination Center (ECCC). This document is the product of a collaboration between ASPR, ECCC and ACEP. The key components of the strategy for managing the threat of widespread influenza infection are: threat awareness, protection and prevention, surveillance and detection, and response and recovery.

The strategic plan was developed to define critical capabilities and suggest actions to achieve them. It is intended to guide emergency departments, hospitals, and local, state and federal government as they perform operational and tactical planning for the fall flu season.

"While H1N1's virulence is not predictable, it is expected to be highly contagious and will place added strains on the emergency care system," said Dr. Jouriles. "Emergency medical and hospital planning for an H1N1 pandemic will be successful only if there is cooperation between first responders and public health officials. ACEP will work with relevant groups and the federal government to dispense information to its members on how best to handle a potentially dangerous and unpredictable flu season."

ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine with more than 27,000 members. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.