Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina

Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Disaster relief
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Hurricane Katrina was one of the largest and most costly natural disasters in U.S. history, and its effects will be felt for many years to come. Though there were many compelling stories of individual acts of heroism in response to the disaster, it is widely agreed that most aspects of the response, including the public health and medical response, fell short of expectations. Hurricane Katrina tested the public health system in terms of its emergency response role; a number of problem areas were exposed in the process. It is important to examine the public health response to Hurricane Katrina to determine what worked well and what did not, so that public health agencies can learn from its experiences and improve its preparedness before another disaster (whether natural or man made) strikes. This study seeks to contribute to this effort by collecting and synthesizing the public health lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina. The authors focused their efforts on areas that they knew were tested by Hurricane Katrina and around which significant problems arose, including the coordination of the medical workforce, the coordination of medical supplies and equipment, communications, and caring for special needs populations. Their findings are based on a review of relevant documents such as government reports, newspaper articles, and national and state-level emergency response plans, as well as a series of interviews with public health officials and other governmental and emergency management personnel in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina

Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Disaster relief
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Hurricane Katrina was one of the largest and most costly natural disasters in U.S. history, and its effects will be felt for many years to come. Though there were many compelling stories of individual acts of heroism in response to the disaster, it is widely agreed that most aspects of the response, including the public health and medical response, fell short of expectations. Hurricane Katrina tested the public health system in terms of its emergency response role; a number of problem areas were exposed in the process. It is important to examine the public health response to Hurricane Katrina to determine what worked well and what did not, so that public health agencies can learn from its experiences and improve its preparedness before another disaster (whether natural or man made) strikes. This study seeks to contribute to this effort by collecting and synthesizing the public health lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina. The authors focused their efforts on areas that they knew were tested by Hurricane Katrina and around which significant problems arose, including the coordination of the medical workforce, the coordination of medical supplies and equipment, communications, and caring for special needs populations. Their findings are based on a review of relevant documents such as government reports, newspaper articles, and national and state-level emergency response plans, as well as a series of interviews with public health officials and other governmental and emergency management personnel in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina PDF Author:
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
"The objective of this report is to identify and establish a roadmap on how to do that, and lay the groundwork for transforming how this Nation- from every level of government to the private sector to individual citizens and communities - pursues a real and lasting vision of preparedness. To get there will require significant change to the status quo, to include adjustments to policy, structure, and mindset"--P. 2.

Lessons Learned from Katrina in Public Health Care

Lessons Learned from Katrina in Public Health Care PDF Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description


The Alfonse and Gaston of Governmental Response to National Public Health Emergencies

The Alfonse and Gaston of Governmental Response to National Public Health Emergencies PDF Author: Michael Greenberger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Hurricane Katrina renewed an old debate concerning which level of government should lead the response effort to catastrophic disasters. Traditionally, emergency response is handled at the most local level possible. Hurricane Katrina, however, and other catastrophes that may be labeled Incidents of National Significance, are examples of emergencies of such magnitude that federal assets must be brought to bear to respond adequately to the situation. As such Incidents will almost always affect interstate commerce, Congress' commerce powers justify federal intervention in, and if necessary, supervision of the response. In such situations, the National Response Plan provides for extensive coordination between the federal government and states and localities, thus respecting the tradition of states and localities as first responders to incidents, while ensuring that federal resources may be utilized.

Lessons learned from Katrina in public health care : hearing

Lessons learned from Katrina in public health care : hearing PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422322239
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 94

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Book Description


Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters

Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309179890
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
Public health officials have the traditional responsibilities of protecting the food supply, safeguarding against communicable disease, and ensuring safe and healthful conditions for the population. Beyond this, public health today is challenged in a way that it has never been before. Starting with the 9/11 terrorist attacks, public health officers have had to spend significant amounts of time addressing the threat of terrorism to human health. Hurricane Katrina was an unprecedented disaster for the United States. During the first weeks, the enormity of the event and the sheer response needs for public health became apparent. The tragic loss of human life overshadowed the ongoing social and economic disruption in a region that was already economically depressed. Hurricane Katrina reemphasized to the public and to policy makers the importance of addressing long-term needs after a disaster. On October 20, 2005, the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine held a workshop which convened members of the scientific community to highlight the status of the recovery effort, consider the ongoing challenges in the midst of a disaster, and facilitate scientific dialogue about the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on people's health. Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina is the summary of this workshop. This report will inform the public health, first responder, and scientific communities on how the affected community can be helped in both the midterm and the near future. In addition, the report can provide guidance on how to use the information gathered about environmental health during a disaster to prepare for future events.

LESSONS LEARNED

LESSONS LEARNED PDF Author: Dept of Homeland Security
Publisher: Claitor's Pub Division
ISBN: 9781598042979
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
As part of the review, we visited the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast during mid November 2005. We met with government officials, business and community leaders, and volunteers amidst the rubble of what had been their homes, schools, and places of worship. Their courage and fortitude in the face of tragedy was inspirational. And while we were determined to learn the lessons to improve our future disaster response, it was clear that for residents of the Gulf Coast, survival and hope still came a day at a time. We were struck by the decency and compassion of those we met and moved by their continuing emotion and pain. As you know, it is hard for those who have not witnessed first hand the hurricane's destruction and its human toll to fully comprehend the importance of your charge that we prepare to respond more effectively to our fellow citizens in their times of greatest need. This Report then is a tribute to those who have served and those who have suffered. We remember those who lost their lives and all still affected by this tragedy. Though we can never replace their unfathomable losses, we have an obligation to continue helping those still suffering to recover and rebuild their lives.

Managing Hurricane Katrina

Managing Hurricane Katrina PDF Author: Arjen Boin
Publisher: LSU Press
ISBN: 0807170917
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
The government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, suffered numerous criticisms. Nearly every assessment pointed to failure, from evaluations of President George W. Bush, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security to the state of Louisiana and the city administration of New Orleans. In Managing Hurricane Katrina: Lessons from a Megacrisis, Arjen Boin, Christer Brown, and James A. Richardson deliver a more nuanced examination of the storm’s aftermath than the ones anchored in public memory, and identify aspects of management that offer more positive examples of leadership than bureaucratic and media reports indicated. Katrina may be the most extensively studied disaster to date, but the authors argue that many academic conclusions are inaccurate or contradictory when examined in concert. Drawing on insights from crisis and disaster management studies, Boin, Brown, and Richardson apply a clear framework to objectively analyze the actions of various officials and organizations during and after Katrina. They specify critical factors that determine the successes and failures of a societal response to catastrophes and demonstrate how to utilize their framework in future superdisasters. Going beyond previous assessments, Managing Hurricane Katrina reconsiders the role of government in both preparing for a megacrisis and building an effective response network at a time when citizens need it most.

Crisis and Disaster Counseling

Crisis and Disaster Counseling PDF Author: Priscilla Dass-Brailsford
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1483302075
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
This text provides professionals with the skills needed to effectively assist survivors of disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, with healing, recovery, and resilience. This comprehensive collection includes powerful, direct accounts of first responders and the organizations they represent. Taking a practical, skill-building approach, it offers clear and pragmatic recommendations to help providers, educators, advocates, and policymakers better understand how to meet the needs of children, families, and communities in the aftermath of disasters. Key Features Provides a substantial review of the current theoretical and research literature on disasters and disaster response Emphasizes multicultural competency in the aftereffects of disasters Uses a practical skill-building approach to develop competencies in crisis work Covers the spiritual dimensions of healing as well as funeral practices to encourage discussion on grief and mourning Intended Audience This book is a must-have reference for mental health practitioners. For graduate students of counseling, psychology, or social work, Crisis and Disaster Counseling will clarify how theory and research can be applied to practice and policy.

Enabling Rapid and Sustainable Public Health Research During Disasters

Enabling Rapid and Sustainable Public Health Research During Disasters PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309313333
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
Over the past decade, preparedness and response capacities of government agencies, hospitals and clinics, public health agencies, and academic researchers in the United States and abroad have been challenged by a succession of public health emergencies, ranging from radiological threats to pandemics to earthquakes. Through After Action Reports, each of these emergencies has yielded important information and lessons learned that can inform future disaster response and recovery efforts. However, important information that needs to be collected during and immediately following these emergencies is often missed because of barriers and obstacles to gathering such data, such as varying institutional review board restrictions in different states, no sustainable funding network for this type of work, uncertainty on who should be involved in research response, and a lack of knowledge around how best to integrate research into response and recovery frameworks. Taking action to enable medical and public health research during disasters was the focus of a workshop held on June 12 and 13, 2014, coordinated and supported jointly by the Institute of Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Library of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Invited speakers and participants from federal, state, and local government, academia, and community and worker organizations came together to discuss how to integrate research into existing response structures; identify critical research needs and priorities; identify obstacles and barriers to research; discuss structures and strategies needed for deployment of a research study; share ideas, innovations, and technologies to support research; and explore data collection tools and data-sharing mechanisms for both rapid and longitudinal research. Enabling Rapid and Sustainable Public Health Research During Disasters summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.