To the Editor:

On behalf of the American Medical Association and the nation’s 800,000 physicians, I wish to congratulate you on the occasion of this first issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.

This peer-reviewed scientific journal is a welcome addition to the profession’s continuing efforts to deliver quality care for all Americans, especially those in dire need because of natural or manmade disasters or public health crises. Your journal creates a scientific base for scholarly research and for advancing the professions of all of those involved in this vital phase of medicine.

Your interdisciplinary approach underscores the interdependence and mutual reliance that have characterized America’s health care system through the generations. Integrating all of the components of preparedness and response in one journal for the first time is a major publishing accomplishment.

My colleagues and I applaud your efforts and wish you well in the months and years ahead.

William G. Plested III, MD

President, American Medical Association