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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Peter N. Bretan, MD, FACS, Marin Sonoma Urology, USPHSCC, IRC, 165 Rowland Way, Novato, CA 94945, 415-892-0904, bretanp@msn.com

One of the key lessons learned as part of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was the need for improved informatics. Team Orleans was deployed and consisted of USPHS healthcare leaders with multidisciplinary expertise. Team Orleans as well as local and federal leaders focused on assessment of the Greater New Orleans (GNO) hospitals and ambulatory care facilities (ACF) for current, immediate, and future capabilities in the setting of a potential massive return of evacuees. Lack of reliable data was one of the first hurdles needing to be addressed, in order to assess health care the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area (GNOMA). As Team Orleans performed extensive site visits and interviews with health care leaders, it was determined that a more comprehensive centralized database application was needed to increase accuracy, fully capture the information being collected, provide better continuity, and produce reports useful to key decision makers. It was determined that the creation of a centralized database would involve extensive collaboration between the city officials and USPHS healthcare leaders. A Microsoft Access database application was built and its usefulness was recognized by the Joint Field Office Command, Area Field Office Command, and our New Orleans Partners. It helped city officials, Hospital Leadership, and USPHS officials make collaborative planning decisions and helped create a continuity of communication for newly deployed team members as well as for health care related workers who were beginning to repopulate the city.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be able to

Describe the state of the health care system pre and post Katrina; (
• Describe the process and development of a multi-user database; (
• Identify the type of information collected; (
• Describe its usefulness to health care decision makers; and (
• Describe the need for future rapid development of a web based system.

Keywords: Information Databases, Information Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation