HOSPITALS ON THE FRONTLINE Hospitals Saving Lives through Community Integration in Response to Mass Casualty Events. STATEMENT OF NEED In this era of global terrorism and increasing natural disaster threats, we as health care professionals are often challenged by being the first receiving of the event casualties. By integrating our response with the local community, and incorporating our daily management and clinical practice as an integrated part of the community, we can improve patient outcomes following those events. This conference will give us the opportunity to review and retain knowledge and expertise from Centers of Excellence that have vast experience in the integration of hospitals in the community response to Mass Casualty Events (MCE). There will be a review of recent state of the art approaches to planning and training hospital response to MCE as an integral part of the community, as well as a review of the outcome of the approaches. The ER One Annual Conference is a forum for the free and face to face exchange of expert information between primary care physicians, sub-specialists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses, and hospital administration. Each field brings their own skills and expertise for the purpose of improving patient focused functions and care as mandated by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Each afternoon will culminate in a review and analysis of the morning.s topics by the expert faculty. There will be ample time allocated for Question and Answer. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this Conference, participants should be able to: Describe the NIMS and JCAHO expectations for Hospital compliance with NIMS. Describe 4 resources available for hospitals in the community. Describe solutions to limited hospital surge capacities. Audience Emergency Medicine, Trauma Service, Critical Care, Protective Services, Members of Emergency Preparedness Committees, Public Information Officers, Hospital Administrators and Local, State and Federal Emergency Management Officials.