Preparedness Webinar: Health Readiness for Emergencies and Disasters - Conceptual and Operational Perspectives-Health Readiness for Emergencies and Disasters: Conceptual and Operational Perspectives

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, hosted by Anita Balan from the American College of Preventive Medicine, focused on public health emergency preparedness and response. Dr. Daniel Barnett, an expert in public health emergency preparedness, was the speaker. The session is part of a national education curriculum for preventive medicine residents and touched upon the increasing frequency and severity of weather-related disasters, primarily due to climate change, and other preparedness challenges including pandemics, technological disasters, and terrorism.<br /><br />Dr. Barnett discussed the "disaster life cycle," which includes prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases, stressing the importance of continuity of operations and individual role clarity during emergencies. He highlighted transformative events shaping public health preparedness, such as the 9/11 attacks, anthrax mailings, bio-preparedness funding, and significant disasters like Hurricane Katrina.<br /><br />Key learning objectives covered included understanding the disaster life cycle, recognizing transformative preparedness events, explaining the public health emergency preparedness system, and discussing disaster preparedness exercises. The role and willingness of healthcare workers, a critical component during emergencies, were explored.<br /><br />He emphasized the importance of the National Incident Management System for coordinated responses across all levels of government. Exercises like tabletop discussions and functional drills are essential to prepare and evaluate readiness.<br /><br />The session concluded with insights on willingness to respond under different disaster scenarios, highlighting issues like the reluctance of some healthcare workers and the importance of building efficacy-focused training to ensure readiness. The importance of continuous quality improvement and collaboration among local, state, and federal entities was underscored. The recorded session and further resources will be made available to participants.

Keywords

public health emergency preparedness

disaster life cycle

climate change

weather-related disasters

pandemics

terrorism

National Incident Management System

healthcare workers

preparedness exercises

continuous quality improvement