Wednesday, November 29, 2006, 2–3:30 p.m., EST

About the Sponsor

This Web conference is sponsored by AHRQ, a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ's mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. As part of this mission, AHRQ translates and disseminates its evidence-based findings, providing State and local policymakers and other health systems decisionmakers with information and tools they can use to make more informed decisions about health care. To meet the needs of local communities in preparing for a potential public health emergency, AHRQ has supported a series of important research activities, including

• Assessing and improving health care system preparedness
• Using information technology to improve planning and preparedness for bioterrorism events
• Training for health care providers to respond to MCEs.