USA Center for Rural Health Preparedness HIKEer Program

The Galveston County Health District has partnered with the USA Center for Rural Health Preparedness as the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health to promote a long-term study of the public health impacts of Hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.

As such, the USA Center has created a registry of individuals who were affected by Hurricane Ike. This registry will serve as a way to contact individuals over the next five years to learn about their evacuation, sheltering, and recovery after Hurricane Ike. It is expected that this study with help identify our community health needs and ultimately improve planning for and responding to future such natural disasters.

The Health District supports this study. If you are willing to participate in this important study, visit the USA Center registry website at www.rural-preparedness.org/hiker.

Dr. Scott Lillibridge to present on Medical Special Needs Preparednes

The newly established National Center for Emergency Medical Preparedness and Response – NCEMPR – a Texas A&M System enterprise encompassing the Health Science Center (HSC), Texas Engineering Extension Service/National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (TEEX/NERRTC) and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), in partnership with the Texas Department of State Health Services, is hosting a 2 day symposium focused on Medical Special Needs Preparedness. This symposium will be held in Austin, Texas, on February 10, 2009 from 1-5pm and continue on the morning of February 11, 2009, from 8am-noon.

The purpose of this symposium is to review activities and challenges in the wake of Hurricane Ike and propose new models and solutions related to the management of Medical Special Needs populations.

Key issues to be discussed include notification, registries, evacuations, staffing and equipping MSN shelters, medical and public health challenges, communications, training, discharge planning and future planning considerations.

USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness and Texas AgriLife

County Government Today (pdf) features the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness