That there is a high level of preparation, but that this level is not considered enough, is something that calls attention to how serious the problem of bioterrorism is. It can be almost impossible to deal with a situation like that because most areas of the country simply cannot marshal the resources necessary to treat the numbers of potential victims. The question also calls attention to another issue, which is the role that government agencies play in health care. There are a lot of agencies involved, and the level of coordination that is required is intense. Government is in a unique position to bring all the different stakeholders together to address the problem, but at the same time government is complicated by all of the agencies, overlapping jurisdictions and lack of established communication channels. So this question was interesting and the research I conducted was informative.

The second question wasn't as good. The idea was somewhat vague, and sure enough the research on hospitals of the future went in a number of different directions with respect to the concepts that were explored....

This to me was something that made it difficult to gain clarity with respect to what ideas were the most important. Optimally, one serious vision of the future would make a good starting point, and from there the questions can be asked about how such a vision would affect local community hospitals. With so many different visions, it was tougher to draw the connection with community hospitals.
Works Cited:

CDC. (2012). Bioterrorism overview. Center for Disease Control. Retrieved September 25, 2012 from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/overview.asp

CDC (2012, 2). Preparation and planning for bioterrorism emergencies. Center for Disease Control. Retrieved September 25, 2012 from http://emergency.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/prep.asp

Courtney, B., Toner, E. & Waldhorn, R. (2009). Preparing the healthcare system for catastrophic emergencies. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Vol. 7 (1)

AHA. (2012). Hospitals and care systems of the future. American Hospital Association. Retrieved September 26, 2012 from http://www.aha.org/about/org/hospitals-care-systems-future.shtml

Andrews, M. (2009). The high-tech hospital of the future. U.S. News Health. Retrieved September 26, 2012 from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-hospitals/articles/2009/07/15/the-high-tech-hospital-of-the-future

Rowe,

M. (2008). The hospital of the future. Health Leaders Media. Retrieved September 26, 2012 from http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/MAG-214959/the-Hospital-of-the-Future.html