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NM DOH All Hazard Incident Management Glossary
Intro | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ Sources
Download: NMDOH_IM_Glossary_May_2008 
Half-life (t1/2) – the time it takes for half the original amount of a substance to disappear. In the environment, the half-life is the time it takes for half the original amount of a substance to disappear when it is changed to another chemical by bacteria, fungi, sunlight, or other chemical processes. In the human body, the half-life is the time it takes for half the original amount of the substance to disappear, either by being changed to another substance or by leaving the body. In the case of radioactive material, the half-life is the amount of time necessary for one half the initial number of radioactive atoms to change or transform into another atom (that is normally not radioactive). After two half-lives, 25% of the original number of radioactive atoms remain.
HAN Health Alert Network – infrastructure for the secure transmission of health- related information between the CDC, Department of Health and local health jurisdictions, the State’s emergency response community, and its other partners using the intergovernmental network as its backbone. Part of a nationwide health alerting system coordinated by the CDC.
Hazard – Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
Hazard Mitigation – any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards.
Hazard Vulnerability Analysis – the identification of potential emergencies and the direct and indirect effects these emergencies may have on the health care organization’s operations and demand for service.
Hazardous Materials (HazMat) – any material that is explosive, flammable, poisonous, corrosive, reactive, or radioactive, or any combinations thereof, and requires special care in handling because of the hazards it poses to public health, safety, and/or the environment; any hazardous substance under the Clean Water Act, or any element, compound, mixture, solution, or substance designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); any hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); any toxic pollutant listed under pretreatment provisions of the Clean Water Act; any hazardous pollutant under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act; or any imminent hazardous chemical substance for which the administrator has taken action under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 7. (Section 101[14]) (CERCLA)
Hazardous Substance Release and Health Effects Database (HazDat) – the scientific and administrative database system developed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste – potentially harmful substances that have been released or discarded into the environment.
Health Advisory – see under Health Alert Network (NM)
Health Alert – see under Health Alert Network (NM)
Health Alert Network (HAN) – a CDC-funded national effort to provide timely health information to public health emergency responders in the event of a natural or human-caused public health emergency. Health messages from the CDC are distributed to each state which decides if and how to redistribute them locally. HAN messages which originate in New Mexico are in response to local conditions or events.
Health Alert Network (NM) – part of the CDC-funded national activity described above, the NM Health Alert Network (NMHAN) uses email, fax, page, and telephonic technologies to notify medical and emergency professionals of emergent situations affecting the public health. The NMHAN generates messages from the NM DOH to health care practitioners, emergency responders, DOH Staff and other affiliated professionals that contain important information for responding to a health emergency. Health messages, commonly known as Alerts, are meant to get needed information quickly to health professionals, and may originate from the CDC or New Mexico. The HAN is not a channel for distributing information to the general public. There are three levels of HAN messages: Alert (requires immediate action); Advisory (requires action some time in the future) and Update (no action required, for information only).
Health Update – see under Health Alert Network (NM)
HHS - Department of Health and Human Services (US)
HICS - Hospital Incident Command System is an emergency management system which employs a logical management structure, defined responsibilities, clear reporting channels and a common nomenclature to help unify hospitals with other emergency responders.
High-Hazard Areas – geographic locations that for planning purposes have been determined through historical experience and vulnerability analysis to be likely to experience the effects of a specific hazard (e.g., hurricane, earthquake, hazardous materials accident, etc.) resulting in vast property damage and loss of life.
HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HMRU - Hazardous Materials Response Unit (FBI)
HPV – Health Professional Volunteers
HRSA – Health Resources and Services Administration – An agency of the USPHS within the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
HSD - Human Services Department (NM)
HSEEP – Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program
HSPD – Homeland Security Presidential Directive
