142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Essential Components of a Successful Megashelter Operation

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

David J. Holcombe, M.D., M.S.A. , Louisiana Office of Public Health, Alexandria, LA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
On Tuesday, August 28, 2012, Hurricane Isaac struck Southeast Louisiana, forcing the assisted evacuation of over 4,000 residents.  Over 2,000 were successfully accommodated at the State Emergency Shelter at Alexandria (aka The Megashelter) with the collaborative effort of multiple partners.  Planning and successful partnerships proved critical to a successful operation.

Learning Areas:

Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Define disaster preparedness in Louisiana through real-life example. Identify various partners and the level of pre-planning necessary to operate a shelter. Discuss some of the challenges associated with Hurricane Isaac. Assess and evaluate their disaster responses in their jurisdictions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the Regional Administrator/Medical Director for the Office of Public Health since 2007. As incident commander for the Medical Special Needs Shelter and a member of the Unified Command for the Megashelter, I have had direct experience in sheltering during Hurricanes Gustav/Ike and Isaac (with personal experience during Katrina). I have an M.D. from the Catholic U. of Louvain and worked 20 years as a General Internist in Alexandria, LA.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4206.0: Louisiana's public health response & recovery effort to natural & man-made disasters at the state & local level