Abstract

Deconstructing Online Content for Post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico: Rapid Response Public Health Campaign by Public Health Training Centers

Samantha Cinnick, MPH, CHES, CPH1, Marita Murrman, EdD, MS1, Heidi Parrilla, BHE, PhD2, Maria Levis, MPA, MPH2, Anne T. Fidler, ScD3 and Karla Todd, MBA, MSM4
(1)Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, (2)Impactivo, LLC, San Juan, PR, Puerto Rico, (3)Boston University, Boston, MA, (4)Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA

APHA's 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo (Nov. 10 - Nov. 14)

To meet urgent public health needs in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, the Public Health Learning Network (PHLN) identified, deconstructed, translated, and distributed priority public health information despite severely limited power and telecommunications. Within the PHLN, the Region 2 Public Health Training Center (PHTC) and its partner in Puerto Rico, Impactivo, were responsible for identifying high-priority public health needs on the island and managing communication between response partners. Additionally, The Region 1 New England PHTC was responsible for identifying available preparedness materials. When materials were unavailable, additional regional PHTCs in the PHLN offered subject matter expertise. Using this framework, the PHLN and its partnerships launched a three-week work-plan which resulted in 17 Spanish-translated factsheets on public health content related to hurricane response and recovery. These factsheets became the basis of a paper, radio, and internet-based public health media campaign in Puerto Rico managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Impactivo. Implementation of the campaign between January and March of 2018 included the distribution of 500 brochures, 200 posters, three 30-second radio segments, quarter-page newspaper ads, and weekly social media posts. A major challenge of this response included a notable shortage of non-internet based, Spanish training that demonstrated that the national movement towards online training may be disadvantageous in some disaster recovery situations. Overall, this collaboration presents a potentially replicable short-term response after natural disasters where a strong subject matter network with local partners can generate quick outcomes in a cost-effective manner.

Administration, management, leadership Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs