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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Luanne S. Francis, Bsc, MPH, Health Care For All, Kingsley House, 1600 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-523-6221, lfrancis@kingsleyhouse.org

The session will provide a detailed picture of how expansion of the Neighborhood Health Messenger Model helped families resettle and recover as they returned to their communities after Hurricane Katrina. Participants in this session will also get an over view of the challenges encountered and the lessons learned during implementation of the model in a disaster recovery setting. When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region, entire communities were left without the basic needs to survive- basic human rights. When New Orleans re-opened for businesses and residents to return, the Neighborhood Health Workers set about gathering information on resources and services available in anticipation of meeting the needs of families. Prior to the hurricane the goal of the Neighborhood Health Messenger Program at Kingsley House was to increase access to health care and increase awareness of Louisiana's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs. In order to meet the new needs of the community, the NHMs began identifying specific needs of families and connecting them with resources as simple as the closest open grocery store to replacing vital documents lost in the hurricane. Presenters will include NHMs who will talk about how the work changed with the occurrence of the hurricane and the impact this work has had on their lives and the lives of the families they served.

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

• apply the Neighborhood Health Messenger Model to resettlement and recovery work that results after a natural disaster
• Learn about the challenges and lessons learned in implementing the NHM model in a disaster recovery setting

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Community-Based Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation