A new report from the Institute of Medicine said U.S. communities and federal agencies should try to create healthier communities during disaster preparation and recovery efforts, according to an article on the Hospital & Health Network website.

With a health focus, a community can both mitigate the health damage caused by disasters and recover in ways that make the community healthier and more resilient than it was before, the article said.

“We have an opportunity to transform our response to devastating disasters into an effort to meaningfully enhance the healthiness of our communities,” said Reed Tuckson, chair of the study committee that wrote the report. "This report provides practical guidance for disaster and health professionals, government and elected officials, communities, and individuals that can not only enhance disaster recovery but also advance the realization of maximally health communities."

The report also provides specific guidance for federal agencies such as FEMA, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other agencies involved in implementing the National Disaster Recovery Framework.

Read the article.