Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112800

Rachel D. Vasconez, RD, MBA, MPH¹, Peter M. Ginter, PhD¹, Crystal L. Jenkins, MPH¹, Steven T. Baldwin, MD², Tony A. Fargason, MD³, Andrew C. Rucks, PhD¹, Martha S. Wingate, DrPH¹, Lisa McCormick, MPH¹, and H. Pennington Whiteside, MSPH¹. (1) South Central Center for Public Health Preparedness, University of Alabama at Birmingham, RPHB 330, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, 2059347122, rvascone@uab.edu, (2) Emergency Medicine, Children's Health System, 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233, (3) Pediatrics, Children's Health System, 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233

One of the emerging issues in public health is the area of preparedness. Considerable funding has been targeted for health departments and hospitals to enable the community to respond to a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. There are mixed perspectives as to the efficacy of the current initiatives. However, one area of certainty is that the pediatric population is vulnerable to the medical effects of an event and that no state has ample surge capacity to treat a large number of pediatric victims.

The southeastern states are attempting to identify a solution to the issues facing the pediatric population through an initiative entitled The Southeastern Regional Pediatric Disaster Response Network (SRPDRN). The purpose of the network is three fold: to establish and coordinate regional plans for pediatric centers, to develop a practical framework for a collaborative work arrangement, and to determine what resources in the region can be utilized to respond to a natural or terrorist event.

The SRPDRN is composed of representatives from the Children's Hospital of Alabama, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of South Alabama, the Children's Health System of Atlanta, Tulane University, and Vanderbilt University and continues to grow. The leadership illustrated by Children's Hospital of Alabama allowed this initiative to move to fruition. This paper reports on the coordination guidelines, response arrangements and resource requirements of the Network. Further the paper examines the leadership exemplified by each agency in making the initiative possible.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify issues associated with pediatric disasters
• Recognize the scope of the problem facing institutions in responding to a disaster
• Understand that a coordinated regional response is essential in effectively addressing the issues

Keywords: Emerging Health Issues, Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.