Results for: Stephen S. Morse

This article describes the design and evaluation of a blended online/face-to-face course completed by more than 6000 learners throughout the United States of America and internationally. The educational impact was monitored using a variety of evaluation strategies. The results, in terms of achieved knowledge and overall satisfaction, indicate that a focus on online instruction combined …

Continue reading “The incorporation of hands-on tasks in an online course: an analysis of a blended learning environment”

This article presents the development of a program and results of a study to evaluate an online distancebased learning (DBL) program for competency-based, basic emergency preparedness training for employees of local health departments nationwide. The program was developed and implemented beginning in May 2003 by Columbia University’s Center for Public Health Preparedness (CU-CPHP), and was …

Continue reading “Teaching emergency preparedness to public health workers: use of blended learning in web-based training”

Next year will mark the 90th anniversary of the great influenza pandemic of 1918, an event widely considered to be one of the greatest natural disasters in human history. Historians estimate that ≥50 million people died worldwide, including >450,000 documented deaths in the United States alone (1). Since then, the 20th century witnessed two more …

Continue reading “Pandemic influenza: Studying the lessons of history”

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”

There has been great concern recently about pandemic influenza. The US government developed a National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza in November 2005, followed by an implementation plan in May 2006. A six-month progress report was published in late December. The current strategies are intended to improve preparedness and response for the next influenza pandemic. In …

Continue reading “The US pandemic influenza implementation plan at six months”

Current concerns about the spread of infectious diseases, especially unexpected (“emerging”) infections such as pandemic influenza or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), have renewed focus on the critical importance of global early warning and rapid response. Although considerable progress has been made, many gaps remain. A number of the gaps can be addressed through increased …

Continue reading “Global Infectious Disease Surveillance And Health Intelligence”

There are many reasons to be interested in public health in China. China is the single most populous nation on earth and was the point of origin for SARS and probably for most pandemic influenza viruses, past and future. In this issue of the Journal, we get a valuable window into the organization of public …

Continue reading “Global Preparedness for Public Health”

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?”

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”

Most scientists consider another influenza pandemic inevitable, but there is little information on how best to protect the public before a vaccine can be made available.

The 1918 “Spanish flu” was the fastest spreading and most deadly influenza pandemic in recorded history. Hypotheses of its origin have been based on a limited collection of case and outbreak reports from before its recognized European emergence in the summer of 1918. These anecdotal accounts, however, remain insufficient for determining the early diffusion and …

Continue reading “Epidemiological evidence of an early wave of the 1918 influenza pandemic in New York City”

Last fall, when physicians diagnosed anthrax in a Florida man named Robert Stevens, they initially suspected that they were seeing a rare, natural case of the disease. The infection of a co-worker of Stevens, however, put the country on alert. Five people eventually died, but the quick recognition that the earliest anthrax infections resulted from …

Continue reading “The Vigilance Defense: Proven Systems and Well-Prepared People Are Our Best Protection Against Bioterror”

Public health will face major challenges in the coming decades. The 1999 West Nile outbreak in New York City and other recent incidents demonstrate how important public health is as a frontline defense against emerging infections, bioterrorism, and other unexpected emergencies. A well-prepared public health workforce is more critical than ever. The challenges are particularly …

Continue reading “First Steps: A Pilot Preparedness Program for Public Health Nurses”