National Health Security Strategy

National Health Security Strategy Outreach Efforts
A comprehensive and well-integrated National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) is essential for ensuring that the health (to include public, behavioral, and clinical care) system, in the broadest sense of the term, can function effectively when faced with a wide range of incidents for which there are health consequences or threats to health.  The Strategy's purview is national and therefore includes agencies at the local level.  In addition, a diverse group of community organizations have a role in national health security and may be affected by the Strategy and its implementation.  To successfully implement NHSS, the perspectives of both groups—state and local governmental agencies and community stakeholder organizations—must be incorporated as the Strategy is developed, refined, and translated into policy.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has primary responbility for coordinating stakeholder and community involvement to inform a broad national strategy.  There are ongoing efforts to solicit and incorporate stakeholder feedback into the NHSS and subsequent implementation documents.

Bi-Regional Meetings
HHS held several meetings with key stakeholders from all of the nation's 10 disaster planning regions in five sets of bi-regional meetings.  Stakeholders had the option of participating in the meetings and offering their input by joining "virutally" through audio and Web conferencing, or by attending at an in-person meeting location.  The focus of the regional meetings was on ascertaining regional specific perspectives on the Strategy and its feasibility.  Every effort was made to incorporate the valuable input received from these meetings.  HHS continues to engage myriad stakeholders and welcomes any suggestions you have. 

Community and Technical Core Committees
In addition to the bi-regional meetings, public input on the Strategy was solicited through two expert panels—a Technical Core Committee and a Community Core Committee.  Each panel consisted of 15-20 persons representing a broad range of backgrounds, from public health to medicine, community-based social service and health care organizations, including those representing faith-based organizations; as well as persons representing state, local, and tribal interests.  The intent was to obtain information and viewpoints from individual subject matter experts as opposed to advice, opinions, or recommendations from the group acting in a collective mode.

Progress To-Date

• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Multiple working groups within HHS
  • National Security Staff Sub-Interagency Policy Committee
  • Community and Technical Core Committees
  • Regional Stakeholder Engagement Meetings
• Review of methods to measure progress toward national health security
• Draft of the National Health Security Strategy
• Draft of the Interim Implementation Guide
• NHSS Task Force, including members from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense