Hispanic health status in Orange County, Florida.

Purpose: To assess the health status of the Hispanic population of Orange County, Florida.

Methods: The methodology utilized secondary data for 66 ethnically identified indicators in a comparative framework applied for a 5-year period (1997-2001).

Findings: Orange County Hispanics are younger with lower per capita income than their Florida peers, less likely to be White, and much more likely to be of Puerto Rican origin.

Bioterrorism vs. health security--crafting a plan of preparedness.

Bioterrorism, once a subject of fantasy and speculation, has become all too real in a world turned upside down by the September 11, 2001. series of events. An essential, but as yet unanswered, question has become a crucial topic for discussion on the nightly news and in living rooms across the United States: How much of a terrorist threat do we face, and what must be done to control its potential for mass destruction? This article seeks to both answer this question and explore proper plans of preparedness for the eventuality of the unthinkable.