Disaster Preparedness for Providers and Organizations Addressed in Special Issue of Journal

Disasters, both man-made and natural, can strike unexpectedly at any time, challenging healthcare facilities and providers in their response. The January 2013 edition of Southern Medical Journal is devoted to the topic of disasters and other catastrophic events, such as mass shootings, outbreaks, and pandemics, and underscores the importance of physician preparedness, with lessons from individuals who were on the front line of events ranging from the September 11, 2001, attacks to the destruction from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.