WASHINGTON, D.C, December 11, 2001 - Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., President of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), issued the following statement today at a news conference announcing the formation of the "Partnership for Community Safety." This new coalition will advocate for federal support to improve the preparedness of local communities in the fight against biological, chemical and nuclear terrorism:

"The catastrophic events of Sept. 11 and the uncertainty that's followed have resulted in new priorities and new responsibilities to help safeguard the health and safety of our nation.

As representatives of this country's 125 medical schools and their faculties, and 400 teaching hospitals, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) strongly supports the Partnership for Community Safety. Its goal is to achieve a sustained level of federal support to ensure that all communities have the resources they need to manage threats of bioterrorism. Its plan is to focus public and legislative attention on the readiness of local communities to protect Americans from these attacks. Its approach is comprehensive; involving the representatives of the frontline caregivers, rescuers and protectors-the individuals we would turn to for help when faced with an act of terrorism. By joining together, the coalition can achieve these goals. And there is much work to be accomplished. While we know that decades of experience with natural disasters have prepared us to deal with mass casualties, there is a good deal more we need to do to be prepared for terrorist attacks.

This coalition will work to further the significant and important groundwork to aid communities in coping with biological, chemical or nuclear attacks, laid out in the "Bioterrorism Preparedness Act of 2001," sponsored by Sens. Bill Frist and Ted Kennedy. This legislation is an essential first step in the nation's long term investment in readiness because it helps to guarantee an immediate and coordinated response by government agencies, fire services, law enforcement, and health care professionals to threats of bioterrorism.

For our part, the AAMC is already working hard to make certain that our country's physician workforce is ready for biological, chemical and nuclear terrorist attacks, through our "First Contact, First Response" plan. We will share what we learn from our efforts and the best practices that result with this coalition.

In this time of widespread fear and uncertainty, those of us in medical education, health care services, public health, fire and emergency services, and law enforcement need to break down all barriers and find new ways to collaborate with each other and with our government. Together we can contribute even more to our country's response to the war against terrorism-our new, number one, national priority."

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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