Leah Z. Ziskin ^1* Drew A. Harris ²

¹ The New Jersey Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ - School of Public Health
² The New Jersey Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ - School of Public Health

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: leah.ziskin{at}comcast.net.

	Abstract

State health policy for terrorism preparedness began before the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, but was accelerated after that day. In a crisis atmosphere after September 11, the states found their policies changing rapidly, greatly influenced by federal policies and federal dollars. In the 5 years since September 11, these state health policies have been refined. This refinement has included a restatement of the goals and objectives of state programs, the modernization of emergency powers statutes, the education and training of the public health workforce, and a preparation of the health care system to better care for victims of disasters, including acts of terrorism.

Key Words: Government, Health Policy