Covid vaccine efforts can’t let up because of new pills from Merck and Pfizer to treat the virus Learn More
Fourteen Months into the Covid-19 Pandemic: What We Miss the Most As the U.S. continues to emerge from the deadliest pandemic in over one hundred years, vaccination rates among Americans have steadily risen, and public health guidelines that have been in place for over a year are increasingly relaxed. In short, Americans are readjusting to a “new normal.” But what this “new normal” looks like for … Continue reading “Fourteen Months into the Covid-19 Pandemic: What We Miss the Most” Learn More
America Is on Track for a Million Coronavirus Cases a Day, and at Least 800,000 Deaths, by the End of 2020 Learn More
The Incompetence, Ignorance, and Dishonesty of Trump’s Coronavirus Response Are Literally Killing Us Learn More
Governors should ignore Trump’s advice until widespread testing and effective contact tracing are ready Learn More
Syrian refugees are experiencing their worst crisis to date. Coronavirus will make it worse. Learn More
What New Yorkers should do if there’s a nuclear alert Dr. Irwin Redlener outlines steps New Yorkers should take in the event of a nuclear alert Learn More
After false alarm in Hawaii, what to do in the event of a missile threat Dr. Irwin Redlener provides advice on what to do in the event of a missile threat Learn More
Hawaii’s missile scare “reminds us how precarious the nuclear age is” Dr. Irwin Redlener on the unsettling events around the false alarm missile alert in Hawaii Learn More
Chronic Disease After Natural Disasters: Public Health, Policy, and Provider Perspectives Individuals with chronic conditions require special attention in the planning, response, and recovery phases of disasters, given their unique needs for medication, medical equipment, continued medical care, and the potential for exacerbation of their conditions that require resource-intensive management. In addition to exacerbating existing disease, disasters also contribute to the development of new chronic illnesses. … Continue reading “Chronic Disease After Natural Disasters: Public Health, Policy, and Provider Perspectives” Learn More
Dr. Irwin Redlener on Jimmy Kimmel Live! NCDP Director Dr. Irwin Redlener helps Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo prepare for a potential nuclear attack. Learn More
Regions Respond to Catastrophes In large-scale disasters that include but are not limited to detonation of an improvised nuclear device, a major earthquake, or another large hurricane striking a major US city, we will simultaneously lose health care system capacity with damage to facilities while needing to care for a surge of injured and ill people seeking care. This … Continue reading “Regions Respond to Catastrophes” Learn More
Covering Recovery- Finding News in the Aftermath of Disaster On October 11, 2016, the Covering Recovery Project, a joint initiative of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, hosted its inaugural lunchtime colloquium at the Columbia Journalism School. The discussion explored innovative approaches to storytelling and under-reported policy debates. This is a live stream recording of the … Continue reading “Covering Recovery- Finding News in the Aftermath of Disaster” Learn More
IRE16: Investigating in the Wake of Disaster - Special Message As Dr. Redlener was unable to attend #IRE16 in person this year, he recorded a special message for all the attendees of the 2016 Investigative Reporters and Editors conference and in particular for the panel hosted by the Dart Center, Columbia University. This content is particularly pertinent for all journalists with an interest in covering … Continue reading “IRE16: Investigating in the Wake of Disaster – Special Message” Learn More
The American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2015 The American Preparedness Project was launched by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) in 2002, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in order to survey public perceptions and opinions on disaster preparedness and to acknowledge that a comprehensive understanding of the concerns of individuals and families is critical to emergency planning efforts on … Continue reading “The American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2015” Learn More
Schools and Terrorism: Global Trends, Impacts, and Lessons for Resilience This study characterizes trends in the frequency and characteristics of terrorist attacks in child-serving educational institutions around the world, examining the specific vulnerabilies of children and schools with regard to terrorist violence, as well as the various impacts that violence has on children, communities, and societies. Following the analysis of available data on terrorist attacks … Continue reading “Schools and Terrorism: Global Trends, Impacts, and Lessons for Resilience” Learn More
Anger Versus Fear: Perceptions of Terrorism Among the American Public With recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; San Bernardino, California and elsewhere, the rhetoric for addressing the issue of terrorism has grown more polarized. In particular we have seen increasingly aggressive statements demanding limits to immigration, increasing vigilance against Muslim communities, and calling for more direct military action against terrorist organizations.The tone of … Continue reading “Anger Versus Fear: Perceptions of Terrorism Among the American Public” Learn More
Children in Disasters: Do Americans Feel Prepared? A National Survey This study was led by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute on behalf of the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities (RCRC) Initiative, in partnership with Save the Children with funding from GSK.The purpose of the study was to learn more about people’s opinions and attitudes toward disaster preparedness with a focus … Continue reading “Children in Disasters: Do Americans Feel Prepared? A National Survey” Learn More
Acts of terrorism and mass violence targeting schools : Analysis and implications for preparedness in the USA To enhance the preparedness of US schools to acts of terrorism and mass violence, the landscape of threats against schools must first be understood. This includes exploring the global trends of acts of terrorism against schools, as well as looking specifically at the history of terrorism and acts of mass violence against schools domestically. This … Continue reading “Acts of terrorism and mass violence targeting schools : Analysis and implications for preparedness in the USA” Learn More
Growing Up in an Era of Extreme Events 2015-2016 Sustainable Development Seminar Series, “Growing Up in an Era of Extreme Events.” October 7th, 2015 1:00PM-4:00PM EDT As we look back at the last 10 years of extreme events, the response and recovery to Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy and the Ebola Crisis are a few of the many that have tested our disaster preparedness. … Continue reading “Growing Up in an Era of Extreme Events” Learn More
Missteps at WHO Fueled Ebola’s Spread The 2014 Ebola epidemic was always going to be deadly, but an Associated Press investigation, featuring quotes by NCDP Director Dr. Irwin Redlener, has found that a string of avoidable errors badly undermined the work of aid workers. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSgexq5qfcE Learn More
Ebola and the Politics of Pandemic The Earth Institute presented the first 2014-2015 Sustainable Development Seminar Series, Ebola and the Politics of Pandemic, on November 6th. Beyond urgent medical and humanitarian consequences and response demands, the growing Ebola crisis has serious implications for governments, the private sector, and public messengers. This session will explore how money, power, and media affect — … Continue reading “Ebola and the Politics of Pandemic” Learn More
Prepping for a Blizzard Dr. Redlener joined Inside Edition to discuss how to prepare to shelter in place during a weather-related event. Learn More
Climate Change and Health on the U.S. Gulf Coast: Public Health Adaptation is Needed to Address Future Risks The impacts of climate change on human health have been documented globally and in the United States. Numerous studies project greater morbidity and mortality as a result of extreme weather events and other climate-sensitive hazards. Public health impacts on the U.S. Gulf Coast may be severe as the region is expected to experience increases in … Continue reading “Climate Change and Health on the U.S. Gulf Coast: Public Health Adaptation is Needed to Address Future Risks” Learn More
The Medical Home and Care Coordination in Disaster Recovery: Hypothesis for Interventions and Research In postdisaster settings, health care providers encounter secondary surges of unmet primary care and mental health needs that evolve throughout disaster recovery phases. Whatever a community’s predisaster adequacy of health care, postdisaster gaps are similar to those of any underserved region. We hypothesize that existing practice and evidence supporting medical homes and care coordination in … Continue reading “The Medical Home and Care Coordination in Disaster Recovery: Hypothesis for Interventions and Research” Learn More
Disaster Prepared: How Federal Funding in the United States Supports Health System and Public Health Readiness Federal funding for health and medical preparedness in the United States has created an important foundation for preparing the health and medical systems to respond to a wide range of hazards. A declining trend in funding for these preparedness activities threatens to undo the progress that has been made over the last decade, and reduce … Continue reading “Disaster Prepared: How Federal Funding in the United States Supports Health System and Public Health Readiness” Learn More
The Ebola Crisis: What it Means for West Africa & the World The National Center for Disaster Preparedness, in collaboration with the Earth Institute, brought together experts and stakeholders for a timely and educational conference on the Ebola outbreak on October 27th, 2014. This conference facilitated a multi-disciplinary dialogue which will focus on how best to curb the epidemic, understand its impacts—particularly in terms of bioethical and … Continue reading “The Ebola Crisis: What it Means for West Africa & the World” Learn More
Is America prepared for an Ebola outbreak? Dr. Redlener speaks with WTOP 103.5 regarding the state of preparedness in the United Sates and its ability or inability to handle a major outbreak or infectious disease epidemic. Source: wtop.com/267/3718256/Is-America-prepared-for-an-Ebola-outbreak Learn More
Disasters: The Wake-Up Calls That Never Happen Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, provided expert commentary on KUOW, explaining why events like the landslide in Oso, Washington rarely yield the attention or resources needed to prepare or respond adequately for future events. Interview by Ross Reynolds at Seattle’s National Public Radio affiliate, KUOW, April 4, 2014 Click … Continue reading “Disasters: The Wake-Up Calls That Never Happen” Learn More
Harlem building collapse: Disaster journalism & long-term impacts Irwin Redlener, MD was interviewed by Gene Policinski, host of the Journalism Works radio program on March 14, 2014. Dr. Redlener discussed the long-term impacts of the recent gas explosion in Harlem, New York City, and addressed the socioeconomic needs of communities as they recover from disasters. Dr. Redlener also focuses on best practices for journalists after … Continue reading “Harlem building collapse: Disaster journalism & long-term impacts” Learn More
Why London and other cities could be “doomed” Isabel Hilton reports on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York. She speaks to Irwin Redlener, MD of The National Center for Disaster Preparedness and seismologist Klaus Jacobs who tells her why rising sea levels mean London and other cities could be “doomed”. Learn More
Children’s Health after the Oil Spill: A Four-State Study Findings from the Gulf Coast Population Impact (GCPI) Project Learn More
TED Talk: The Human Dimensions of Disaster Recovery In this TEDx NOLA talk, Dr. Irwin Redlener describes how improved coordination of intelligence services, enhanced detection of biological agents, and better infrastructure capacity can enable the public health sector to work more effectively. He also talks about the need for mobile medical care, electronic medical records, and further preparation for medical healthcare facility evacuations. Learn More
TED Talk: How to survive a nuclear attack Although the face of nuclear terror has changed since the Cold War, disaster-medicine expert Irwin Redlener reminds us the threat is still real. He examines some of history’s farcical countermeasures and offers practical advice on how to survive an attack. Learn More
Children, the environment, and preparing for disasters post-Katrina Center Director Irwin Redlener and The Earth Institute’s Jeff Sachs appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on 8/26/10 to talk about the state of children, the environment, and preparing for disasters post-Katrina. Learn More
Trauma After Katrina: Kids Still Suffering Emotionally Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, speaks to CNN’s American Morning, live from New Orleans about research findings showing children still suffering emotionally from the 2005 disaster. Learn More
Rush to Nowhere: The Extraordinary Consequences of Large-Scale Evaucations National Evacuation Conference 2012, New Orleans, LA, February 7th – 9th. Breakfast plenary session: ” Rush to Nowhere: The extraordinary consequences of Large-Scale Evaucations.” featuring Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Introduction by Brian Wolshon, Gulf Coast Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency. Original Link: http://vimeo.com/39058473 Learn More
Children’s Health after the Oil Spill: A Four-State Study Findings from the Gulf Coast Population Impact (GCPI) Project In 2012, with funding from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University, in partnership with the Children’s Health Fund, launched a four-state study in order (1) to identify communities of children in the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida who were adversely impacted by the … Continue reading “Children’s Health after the Oil Spill: A Four-State Study Findings from the Gulf Coast Population Impact (GCPI) Project” Learn More
Hurricane Sandy: Lessons Learned, Again Hurricane Sandy was a sobering reminder to those of us who call New York home that it is a port city and subject to the whims of wind and water. The storm itself was massive: climatologically, a thousand miles wide at its peak; economically, an estimated excess of $50 billion in damages. In the New … Continue reading “Hurricane Sandy: Lessons Learned, Again” Learn More
After Sandy: Climate and Our Coastal Future A University forum featuring faculty researchers from Columbia’s University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the Mailman School of Public Health, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of International and Public Affairs. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Columbia faculty from schools, institutes, and centers from across … Continue reading “After Sandy: Climate and Our Coastal Future” Learn More
Lessons from Sandy — Preparing Health Systems for Future Disasters Within hours after Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, doctors and staff at one of New York City’s premier medical centers realized that something was going terribly wrong. Lights were flickering, critical devices essential to life support for more than 200 patients, many in intensive care units, were malfunctioning. A decision had to be made by hospital leaders, … Continue reading “Lessons from Sandy — Preparing Health Systems for Future Disasters” Learn More
Rural and suburban population surge following detonation of an improvised nuclear device: A new model to estimate impact Background: The objective of the study was to model urban evacuation into surrounding communities after the detonation of an improvised nuclear device (IND) to assist rural and suburban planners in understanding and effectively planning to address the effects of population surges. Methods: Researchers developed parameters for how far evacuees would travel to escape disasters and … Continue reading “Rural and suburban population surge following detonation of an improvised nuclear device: A new model to estimate impact” Learn More
Health care system planning for and response to a nuclear detonation The hallmark of a successful response to a nuclear detonation will be the resilience of the community, region, and nation. An incident of this magnitude will rapidly become a national incident; however, the initial critical steps to reduce lives lost, save the lives that can be saved with the resources available, and understand and apply … Continue reading “Health care system planning for and response to a nuclear detonation” Learn More
Domestic preparedness cuts in the current federal budget threaten infrastructure gains and public health preparedness Recent cuts in the federal budget have serious implications for the country’s preparedness and response standing. In mid-May, federal agencies released their final FY11 budgets. Much of the country’s funding for homeland security and public health preparedness resides in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budgets. Preparedness … Continue reading “Domestic preparedness cuts in the current federal budget threaten infrastructure gains and public health preparedness” Learn More
Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population Impact Study Learn More
Climate Change and the Public's Health: The Coming Crisis for the U.S. Gulf Coast This paper reviews the scientific consensus as to how climate change will affect human health on a global scale and describes the limited, emerging research findings concerning climate change health impacts along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Through myriad pathways, climate change is likely to make the Gulf Coast less hospitable and more dangerous for Americans, … Continue reading “Climate Change and the Public’s Health: The Coming Crisis for the U.S. Gulf Coast” Learn More
Recovery Research, Katrina's Fifth Anniversary, and Lessons Relearned What may be called “disaster science” is a broad field that begins with understanding hazards, risks, and population vulnerabilities and moves on to establishing best-practice models of response, mitigation, and recovery. Gaps abound in our collective knowledge in all of these areas, and it is fair to suggest that we have only begun to scratch … Continue reading “Recovery Research, Katrina’s Fifth Anniversary, and Lessons Relearned” Learn More
Regional Health and Public Health Preparedness for Nuclear Terrorism: Optimizing Survival in a Low Probability/High Consequence Disaster The United States remains unprepared to cope with the possibility of an attack on a major city by terrorists capable of acquiring and detonating an improvised nuclear device. Long-held anxieties about the non-survivability of nuclear war promulgated during the intense U.S.—Soviet arms race from the late 1940s through the 1980s, and reluctance to consider low … Continue reading “Regional Health and Public Health Preparedness for Nuclear Terrorism: Optimizing Survival in a Low Probability/High Consequence Disaster” Learn More
Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population Impact Study Although the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well was capped on July 15, 2010, an estimated 3 to 5 million barrels of oil spilled in to the Gulf of Mexico over a three-month period. Several surveys prior to the capping of the well documented the concerns and immediate effects of the oil spill on coastal residents. … Continue reading “Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population Impact Study” Learn More
Day Three: Regional Resiliency and Health Challenges in the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorism On February 23, 2010, in New York City, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (NCDP) convened a unique roundtable of experts to discuss the impacts on a major U.S. city and the surrounding region, of the detonation by terrorists of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device. Aware of … Continue reading “Day Three: Regional Resiliency and Health Challenges in the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorism” Learn More
Children as Bellwethers of Recovery: Dysfunctional Systems and the Effects of Parents, Households, and Neighborhoods on Serious Emotional Disturbance in Children After Hurricane Katrina Background: Over 160 000 children were displaced from their homes after Hurricane Katrina. Tens of thousands of these children experienced the ongoing chaos and uncertainty of displacement and transiency, as well as significant social disruptions in their lives. The objectives of this study were to estimate the long-term mental health effects of such exposure among … Continue reading “Children as Bellwethers of Recovery: Dysfunctional Systems and the Effects of Parents, Households, and Neighborhoods on Serious Emotional Disturbance in Children After Hurricane Katrina” Learn More
Mitigating absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic Objectives: An influenza pandemic, as with any disaster involving contagion or contamination, has the potential to influence the number of health care employees who will report for duty. Our project assessed the uptake of proposed interventions to mitigate absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic. Methods: Focus groups were followed by an Internet-based survey of … Continue reading “Mitigating absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic” Learn More
Pediatric Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disasters, Terrorism, and Public Health Emergencies: A National Consensus Conference: 2009 Update This is the third consensus document in an ongoing process to convene experts from the multiple disciplines that are involved in the planning for children affected by disasters. Learn More
The Future of Pediatric Preparedness This article is part of a collaborative effort by experts in the field of emergency preparedness to complete an overview begun by the late Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, on the current challenges and future directions in pediatric disaster readiness. This particular article, “The Future of Pediatric Preparedness,” will offer a perspective on future directions in … Continue reading “The Future of Pediatric Preparedness” Learn More
The 2008 American Preparedness Project: Why Parents May Not Heed Evacuation Orders and What Emergency Planners, Families and Schools Need to Know Since 2002, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and The Children’s Health Fund (CHF), have conducted annual surveys of public attitudes and personal preparedness in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Produced in collaboration with the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion … Continue reading “The 2008 American Preparedness Project: Why Parents May Not Heed Evacuation Orders and What Emergency Planners, Families and Schools Need to Know” Learn More
Population Vulnerabilities, Preconditions, and the Consequences of Disasters In a perfect illustration of our nation’s proclivity for postevent crisis response and our resistance to longer term planning and system investment, the nation put a rush order on developing a massive bureaucracy designed to fast track new systems for preventing and responding to terrorism and large scale natural disasters. FEMA and many other agencies … Continue reading “Population Vulnerabilities, Preconditions, and the Consequences of Disasters” Learn More
Lessons from Katrina – What Went Wrong, What Was Learned, Who’s Most Vulnerable If humans did not occupy the planet, disasters would never occur. Massive climatic events, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis would be regular occurrences, of course, and the earth would look like a dynamic cauldron of natural activity, changing the look and the balance of nature and natural events continuously and randomly. What morphs these natural … Continue reading “Lessons from Katrina – What Went Wrong, What Was Learned, Who’s Most Vulnerable” Learn More
Prevalence and Predictors of Mental Health Distress Post-Katrina: Findings From the Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study Background: Catastrophic disasters often are associated with massive structural, economic, and population devastation; less understood are the long-term mental health consequences. This study measures the prevalence and predictors of mental health distress and disability of hurricane survivors over an extended period of recovery in a postdisaster setting. Methods: A representative sample of 1077 displaced or … Continue reading “Prevalence and Predictors of Mental Health Distress Post-Katrina: Findings From the Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study” Learn More
The American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2007 on Terrorism, Security, and Disaster Preparedness Since 2002, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and The Children’s Health Fund (CHF), have conducted annual surveys of public attitudes and personal preparedness in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Produced in collaboration with the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion … Continue reading “The American Preparedness Project: Where the US Public Stands in 2007 on Terrorism, Security, and Disaster Preparedness” Learn More
Emergency Preparedness: Addressing the Needs of Persons with Disabilities In July 2004, President Bush signed an Executive Order explicitly stating the policy of the United States in the area of emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. The Executive Order built on The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990 “to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against … Continue reading “Emergency Preparedness: Addressing the Needs of Persons with Disabilities” Learn More
Public Health Disaster Research: Surveying the Field, Defining its Future Disaster medicine and public health preparedness are commonly perceived as subfields of the larger fields of medicine and public health rather than being recognized as an emerging academic field embracing all of the disciplines that contribute to effective disaster response. As such, they serve as appropriate subjects for multidisciplinary work in the social sciences, whether … Continue reading “Public Health Disaster Research: Surveying the Field, Defining its Future” Learn More
Establishing Permanent Mental Health Programs Post-Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Practice in Underserved Communities Impacted by Mass Trauma Operation Assist, a joint initiative of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness and the Children’s Health. Fund was formed after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2005. Mental health, medical, and public health professionals have spent one year addressing the needs of victims through direct work and research … Continue reading “Establishing Permanent Mental Health Programs Post-Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Practice in Underserved Communities Impacted by Mass Trauma” Learn More
The Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina Six months after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, a Columbia-led research team conducted a random household survey of people who had been displaced by the disaster in Louisiana. Mental health disability and psychological strain were rampant, people’s lives were chaotic, and their futures were uncertain. The children who had been displaced were often socially … Continue reading “The Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina” Learn More
The Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina: Executive Summary Six months after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, a Columbia-led research team conducted a random household survey of people who had been displaced by the disaster in Louisiana. Mental health disability and psychological strain were rampant, people’s lives were chaotic, and their futures were uncertain. The children who had been displaced were often socially … Continue reading “The Recovery Divide: Poverty and the Widening Gap Among Mississippi Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina: Executive Summary” Learn More
Safer Schools in an Age of Mass Violence: Back to the Basics of Public Health Schools in the US are by and large safe environments where millions of our children are secure and thrive. Outbreaks of fatal violence like the recent shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) are, fortunately, rare. In fact, the odds of a student losing his or her life to homicide are 50 … Continue reading “Safer Schools in an Age of Mass Violence: Back to the Basics of Public Health” Learn More
The Legacy of Katrina's Children: Estimating the Numbers of Hurricane-Related At-Risk Children in the Gulf Coast States of Louisiana and Mississippi The 2005 hurricane season, which included hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, exacted a monumental toll on the people and infrastructure of the Gulf Coast region in the southern United States. Disaster-related losses were estimated to have exceeded $110 billion. Much has been written about the short-term effects on the local housing stock, economy, and populations. … Continue reading “The Legacy of Katrina’s Children: Estimating the Numbers of Hurricane-Related At-Risk Children in the Gulf Coast States of Louisiana and Mississippi” Learn More
Pediatric Preparedness for Disasters, Terrorism and Public Health Emergencies: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summary and Final Report In 2003, we convened experts from the multiple areas of expertise and disciplines involved in the planning for and care of children during times of disaster and terrorist events. The goals of this unprecedented meeting were to: 1) Build collaboration among individuals with expertise in emergency management, including disaster medicine, disaster planning, pediatric emergency medicine, … Continue reading “Pediatric Preparedness for Disasters, Terrorism and Public Health Emergencies: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summary and Final Report” Learn More
Children and Megadisasters: Lessons Learned in the New Millennium Hurricane Katrina is America’s most recent encounter with a megadisaster. But what made it a megadisaster instead of just another category 3 hurricane of the type that seasonally exists in the Gulf of Mexico? Katrina was not the largest or strongest hurricane to strike the United States mainland in the recent past, but its effects … Continue reading “Children and Megadisasters: Lessons Learned in the New Millennium” Learn More
The New York City Principals Pandemic Flu Survey: Are Schools Prepared? It will be only a matter of time before another influenza pandemic occurs. Pandemic flu refers to a novel human influenza virus that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic. Researchers cannot accurately predict the timing, severity, or source of the next pandemic, but are certain it would present a myriad of issues for the public … Continue reading “The New York City Principals Pandemic Flu Survey: Are Schools Prepared?” Learn More
Are We Ready Yet to Deal with Large-Scale Disasters? What seems to be abundantly clear, however, is that the United States is still not where it should be in terms of the general response capacity following major disasters, whatever their cause. Part of the problem is unchanged from last year. We will have not defined what we mean by “prepared” whether we are speaking … Continue reading “Are We Ready Yet to Deal with Large-Scale Disasters?” Learn More
Mississippi Child and Family Health Study — Toplines During the period of August 6 through August 26, 2006, the Columbia-led Mississippi Child & Family Health Study conducted an assessment among Mississippi residents displaced or heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The purpose of the study was to gather information that could inform local, state, and federal policymakers about the health and social service needs … Continue reading “Mississippi Child and Family Health Study — Toplines” Learn More
The Pediatrician and Disaster Preparedness Recent natural disasters and events of terrorism and war have heightened society’s recognition of the need for emergency preparedness. In addition to the unique pediatric issues involved in general emergency preparedness, several additional issues related to terrorism preparedness must be considered, including the unique vulnerabilities of children to various agents as well as the limited … Continue reading “The Pediatrician and Disaster Preparedness” Learn More
National Preparedness Planning: The Historical Context and Current State of the U.S. Public's Readiness, 1940-2005 In the United States, national public preparedness efforts meant to ready individuals and families for disasters have been driven primarily by international threats, actual or anticipated. These include terrorism, war and the potential for global instability such as the millennium Y2K computer error. The national dialogue on public preparedness following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in … Continue reading “National Preparedness Planning: The Historical Context and Current State of the U.S. Public’s Readiness, 1940-2005” Learn More
Bioterrorism Terrorism preparedness is a highly specific component of general emergency preparedness. In addition to the unique pediatric issues involved in general emergency preparedness, terrorism preparedness must consider several additional issues, including the unique vulnerabilities of children to various agents as well as the limited availability of age- and weight-appropriate antidotes and treatments. Although children may … Continue reading “Bioterrorism” Learn More
Life under the "new normal": notes on the future of preparedness Being prepared for emergencies is not a new concept. At every level of government there are contingency plans for natural disasters, accidental catastrophes, local events and personal emergencies of every conceivable manner. Organizations from the Red Cross to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to hospital emergency departments are in a constant state of readiness. Often, … Continue reading “Life under the “new normal”: notes on the future of preparedness” Learn More
Pediatricians Providing Sophisticated Care Under Extreme Conditions We stand in awe of the pediatricians and other colleagues who met the challenge of maintaining care of ill children during a major disaster even while their hospital was being evacuated and while improvising and facilitating mass transport. The challenge in front of us is how to be sure that the children whose families have … Continue reading “Pediatricians Providing Sophisticated Care Under Extreme Conditions” Learn More
Critical Concepts for Children in Disasters Identified by Hands-on Professionals: Summary of Issues Demanding Solutions Before the Next One This supplement contains many hands-on experiences of pediatricians and others who cared for children during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. They have all offered significant insightful suggestions to help planners better prepare for care of children during the next disaster. Pediatricians and other providers need to educate families on many aspects of disaster planning. Families should … Continue reading “Critical Concepts for Children in Disasters Identified by Hands-on Professionals: Summary of Issues Demanding Solutions Before the Next One” Learn More
Homeland Preparedness for Major Terrorism in 2006: Not Yet Ready for Prime Time This year will represent a turning point for preparedness and homeland security in the United States. With Michael Chertoff firmly in place and making his own mark as the new Secretary of Homeland Security, the anticipated reauthorization of the federal bioterrorism bill and many other new perspectives and strategies on the table, changes are likely … Continue reading “Homeland Preparedness for Major Terrorism in 2006: Not Yet Ready for Prime Time” Learn More
Ethical and Legal Challenges Posed by mandatory Hurricane Evacuation: Duties and Limits When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, between 70,000 and 100,000 residents of New Orleans either did not or could not comply with the order that had been issued to evacuate. The events surrounding Katrina raised critical legal and ethical questions about the use of mandatory evacuation orders. We discuss four key ethical issues … Continue reading “Ethical and Legal Challenges Posed by mandatory Hurricane Evacuation: Duties and Limits” Learn More
Responding to an Emerging Humanitarian Crisis in Louisiana and Mississippi: Urgent Need for Health Care "Marshall Plan" It is now clear that massive challenges are facing the recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region ravaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the flooding of New Orleans. Evacuees from the hardest hit communities who are currently in extended shelter status, particularly those with limited economic means, may already formally fall under … Continue reading “Responding to an Emerging Humanitarian Crisis in Louisiana and Mississippi: Urgent Need for Health Care “Marshall Plan”” Learn More
Chronicles From Out-of-State Professionals: Providing Primary Care to Underserved Children After a Disaster: A National Organization Response Hundreds of thousands of lives in the Gulf Coast region were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Children’s Health Fund (CHF) responded rapidly to the needs of children and their families after the hurricane. CHF is a national organization that supports direct health services, education, and advocacy for medically underserved children. Although CHF’s principle mission is … Continue reading “Chronicles From Out-of-State Professionals: Providing Primary Care to Underserved Children After a Disaster: A National Organization Response” Learn More
Dr. Irwin Redlener joins Jon Stewart on the Daily Show Dr. Irwin Redlener would make this country more prepared by providing competent leadership, organization, and accountability. Learn More
Preparing Health Professions Students for Terrorism, Disaster, and Public Health Emergencies: Core Competencies The recent increased threat of terrorism, coupled with the ever-present dangers posed by natural disasters and public health emergencies, clearly support the need to incorporate bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response material into the curricula of every health professions school in the nation. A main barrier to health care preparedness in this country is a lack … Continue reading “Preparing Health Professions Students for Terrorism, Disaster, and Public Health Emergencies: Core Competencies” Learn More
Snapshot 2005: Where the American Public Stands on Terrorism and Preparedness Four Years after September 11 The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) 2005 survey of the American public’s attitudes and views on terrorism, preparedness, and associated issues is the latest in a series of national surveys administered annually beginning in the months after September 11, 2001. The survey was completed in July 2005, just after the London Underground bombings and … Continue reading “Snapshot 2005: Where the American Public Stands on Terrorism and Preparedness Four Years after September 11” Learn More
Children in a Post-9/11 World There is a special set of concerns with respect to children in a post·9/ll world. With the enormous national effort being made to prevent terrorism and particularly to enhance response capacity to unconventional weapons of terror, the special needs of children must be accounted for in preparedness planning at all levels. The important principle is … Continue reading “Children in a Post-9/11 World” Learn More
The Willingness of U.S. Emergency Medical Technicians to Respond to Terrorist Incidents A nationally representative sample of basic and paramedic emergency medical service providers in the United States was surveyed to assess their willingness to respond to terrorist incidents. EMTs were appreciably (9-13%) less willing than able to respond to such potential terrorist-related incidents as smallpox outbreaks, chemical attacks, or radioactive dirty bombs (p < 0.0001). EMTs … Continue reading “The Willingness of U.S. Emergency Medical Technicians to Respond to Terrorist Incidents” Learn More
Terrorism and preparedness: What September 11 and its aftermath mean for physicians In the aftermath of September 11, the people and government of the United States confronted a new reality–so too did the health care community. The attacks revealed a number of vulnerabilities with respect to the health care system’s infrastructure and ability to respond to terrorism. Although September 11 represents an unprecedented disaster in the United … Continue reading “Terrorism and preparedness: What September 11 and its aftermath mean for physicians” Learn More
Children as Potential Targets of Terrorism: Conference Report The working group was an assembly of top thinkers who through their professional and personal endeavours stand poised to consider the implications of children as explicit targets of terrorism and provide directions for research and policy. The group was structured to be a small, select convergence of high-level persons situated in a forum of free … Continue reading “Children as Potential Targets of Terrorism: Conference Report” Learn More
Homelessness and its Consequences Understanding the implications and meaningful details of homelessness helps to clarify the health care challenges that homeless people and the service providers who care for them face on a daily basis. This is not just a matter of very disadvantaged children who need medical care and a food pantry; it is also about families who … Continue reading “Homelessness and its Consequences” Learn More
Preparing for disasters: What should you know, and when should you know it? Three waves of terrorism have ushered in a new era in public health, safety, and health care in the United States: The February 26, 1993 explosions at New York’s World Trade Center, the April 19, 1995 bombing at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the September 11, 2001 attacks, along with the anthrax … Continue reading “Preparing for disasters: What should you know, and when should you know it?” Learn More
Are our children terrorist targets? Are U.S. children potential terror targets? While such a notion is almost impossible to contemplate, evidence increasingly suggests that U.S. intelligence efforts must be alert to this horrific possibility and that schools and first-responders should have appropriate emergency plans. Learn More
Katrina, Rita, and the Failure of Imagination Americans have had to deal with disaster preparedness for decades, anticipating events such as industrial accidents, power plant meltdowns, natural disasters, and nuclear attacks. Since September 11, 2001, the nation has spent unprecedented resources, created new federal, state, and local agencies, and greatly intensified efforts to prepare for catastrophes. But when Hurricane Katrina hit, we … Continue reading “Katrina, Rita, and the Failure of Imagination” Learn More
Preparedness—A Reminder for the Public What should citizens do – or not do – at a time when threat levels are raised and we are painfully reminded that living with a certain level of risk is a reality of our times? Of course, this isn’t a question of terrorism, alone. We are also concerned about natural disasters or sever flu … Continue reading “Preparedness—A Reminder for the Public” Learn More
Uncommon Sense, Uncommon Courage: How the New York City School System, Its Teachers, Leadership and Students Responded to the Terror of September 11 Eight public schools are situated within a quarter mile of Ground Zero with 9,000 students ranging in ages from three to eighteen years – grammar, middle and high schools. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 in the midst of chaos and a relentless unfolding of tragedy, professionals of the Board of Education safely evacuated all 9,000 … Continue reading “Uncommon Sense, Uncommon Courage: How the New York City School System, Its Teachers, Leadership and Students Responded to the Terror of September 11” Learn More
Pediatric Terrorism Preparedness National Guidelines and Recommendations: Findings of an Evidenced-based Consensus Process A cadre of experts and stakeholders from government agencies, professional organizations, emergency medicine and response, pediatrics, mental health, and disaster preparedness were gathered to review and summarize the existing data on the needs of children in the planning, preparation, and response to disasters or terrorism. This review was followed by development of evidence-based consensus guidelines … Continue reading “Pediatric Terrorism Preparedness National Guidelines and Recommendations: Findings of an Evidenced-based Consensus Process” Learn More
How Americans Feel About Terrorism and Security: Three Years After September 11 The following is a product of The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, commissioned in collaboration with The Children’s Health Fund (CHF), and conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. NCDP is a major national and international resource in disaster and terrorism readiness. NCDP includes one … Continue reading “How Americans Feel About Terrorism and Security: Three Years After September 11” Learn More
Pediatric Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorism: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summary In a time of crisis, it is essential to ensure the needs of children are being met in planning and preparing for disasters and terrorist events. The current adult models and guidelines cannot be applied to the care of children. We convened experts from the multiple areas of expertise and disciplines involved in the planning … Continue reading “Pediatric Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorism: A National Consensus Conference: Executive Summary” Learn More
Homeless Women and Their Children in the 21st Century In spite of an unprecedented growth in the economy and subsequent record low unemployment levels throughout most of the 1990s, the number of people who were homeless in the United States steadily increased. A slowdown in the economy that began in 2000 and continued through 2001 magnified the problem. Safety-net programs remain inadequate and a … Continue reading “Homeless Women and Their Children in the 21st Century” Learn More
Disaster and Terrorism Preparedness: What Pediatricians Need To Know This chapter is designed to provide an overview of key issues for the pediatrician with respect to terrorism and disaster preparedness. It is not intended to be a complete compendium of didactic content, but it does represent an approach to understanding what needs to be learned by the pediatrician on this difficult topic and how … Continue reading “Disaster and Terrorism Preparedness: What Pediatricians Need To Know” Learn More
How Americans Feel About Terrorism And Security: Two Years After 9/11 Understanding attitudes, concerns and reactions of individuals and families is critical to emergency planning efforts on all levels. In order to have effective implementation of a disaster plan, people need to be confident in (a) the reliability of information from official sources, (b) the capacity of government to perform effectively in a crisis and (c) … Continue reading “How Americans Feel About Terrorism And Security: Two Years After 9/11” Learn More
The 9/11 terror attacks: Emotional consequences persist for children and their families The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., are unique in American history. The magnitude of the attack in New York, in terms of loss of life and property, was enormous. The destroyed twin towers of the World Trade Center had … Continue reading “The 9/11 terror attacks: Emotional consequences persist for children and their families” Learn More
Access Denied: Taking Action for Medically Underserved Children Advocacy centered on access to health care for children is a straightforward business. The goal is clear: children need readily available, comprehensive, continuity-based, family-friendly, and child-friendly health services to meet a range of well-accepted objectives, including preventing, screening, acute care as needed, management of chronic conditions, and anticipatory guidance. Pediatricians refer to such a health … Continue reading “Access Denied: Taking Action for Medically Underserved Children” Learn More
System-based Mobile Primary Pediatric Care for Homeless Children: The Anatomy of a Working Program The New York Children’s Health Project (NYCHP) of the Montefiore Medical Center-Albert Einstein College of Medicine has been providing comprehensive health services to homeless and medically under served children since 1987. Fully equipped mobile child health offices have been the major mechanism for bringing pediatrician-led teams to places that are convenient for and accessible to … Continue reading “System-based Mobile Primary Pediatric Care for Homeless Children: The Anatomy of a Working Program” Learn More
The Homeless Child Health Care Inventory: Assessing the Efficacy of Linkages to Primary Care Each year, the New York City homeless family shelter system provides transitional housing for nearly 20,000 homeless children. While health care needs of these children are substantial, there is currently no system-wide mechanism for ensuring that they have access to appropriate medical care. This report analyzes information from the Homeless Child Health Care Inventory, a … Continue reading “The Homeless Child Health Care Inventory: Assessing the Efficacy of Linkages to Primary Care” Learn More
Constructive Conflict Management and Coping in Homeless Children Adolescents In this largely exploratory study of the conflict management and coping behavior of homeless adolescents, the authors interviewed 176 families (mother-adolescent dyads) living in New York City welfare hotels. Results indicated that peer conflict was the “worst” problem of the previous month as reported by approximately 50% of these youth. Homeless adolescents demonstrated conflict management … Continue reading “Constructive Conflict Management and Coping in Homeless Children Adolescents” Learn More
Overcoming barriers to health care access for medically underserved children Many children in the United States face serious challenges in seeking appropriate medical care, including lack of insurance coverage, linguistic and social barriers, geographic isolation, and localized shortages of health personnel. This article reviews the New York Children’s Health Project (NYCHP), outlining the planning and implementation of a mobile service delivery model for pediatric care … Continue reading “Overcoming barriers to health care access for medically underserved children” Learn More
