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

Abstract #121118

Mary DesVignes-Kendrick, MD, MPH, FAAP, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Herman Pressler, RAS E1023, Houston, TX 77030, 713 500-9424, mdesvigneskendrick@uth.tmc.edu

The prioritization of resources to address the emerging reality for terrorist threats to local communities has become a critical public health need. Public health professionals face ongoing pressures to have all of the key elements in place within their agencies and communities to safeguard the community's health during a disaster. This involves a juggling of public health resources with a resulting impact on how services are provided to the community. Key issues facing local and state public health agencies in terrorism and disaster preparedness will be reviewed. Preparedness issues include the capacity to address new and emerging infectious diseases, workforce shortages, workforce training, surge capacity (to include workforce, laboratory, epidemiology, communication systems, etc.), disaster leadership skills and more. Missed prevention opportunities and trade-offs in decision-making at the local and state level are part of this mix. These issues and several of the strategies utilized to date (some successfully, some not so successful) by public health leaders and organizations to address community public health needs within the context of ongoing terrorism and disaster preparedness gaps will be explored. A synthesis of traditional public health techniques, coupled with newer performance-based methodologies will be presented as part of the public health professional's toolbox.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe public health implications of disaster preparedness

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Prevention

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.