Oral

Recovery of the Gulf Coast’s health care infrastructure in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina remains incomplete two years after the disaster. This panel of researchers and practitioners will describe the impact of the hurricane on the health systems in Louisiana and Mississippi and the consequences for the populations dependent upon these health systems. The panel will also consider health system recovery approaches that are both “top-down” and “bottom-up” in nature, particularly since there have been state-wide system planning processes such as the Health Redesign Collaborative in Louisiana as well as grass-roots efforts such as the Common Ground clinics in New Orleans and Operation Assist mobile units throughout the Gulf. The panelists will consider what social and political forces have influenced the recovery process. The panel moderator is a state public health official, who will discuss the role of governmental public health in the recovery process as well as the necessary linkages among the research, practice, and public health communities.

Session Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to 1. Describe the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the private and public health infrastructure 2. Describe the impact of Hurricane Katrina on vulnerable populations in Louisiana and Mississippi 3. Analyze organizational systems for delivering health care in a domestic post-disaster environment 4. Consider the social, political, and economic challenges and barriers associated with reconstructing and redeveloping health systems, post-disaster 5. Describe the utility of population-based research on health system assessment and redevelopment.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing