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The Role of Academic Health Centers in Disaster Preparedness

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Disaster Preparedness for Seniors

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Abstract

Academic Health Centers (AHCs) have been pioneers in their contributions to emergency preparedness in their communities as well as nation-wide. They filled an important role following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by providing emergency preparedness (bioterrorism) competencies for clinicians and academic-based curriculum for healthcare professions (Colleges AoAM. Training future physicians about weapons of mass destruction: report of the expert panel on bioterrorism education for medical students. Washington, DC: AAMC; 2003; Gebbie and Qureshi, Am J Nurs. 2002;102(1):46–51). AHCs housed many of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) to provide for workforce development for public health workers. Another essential service that AHCs provide in disaster preparedness is their expertise in caring for the elderly population. Geriatric centers of excellence, housed in AHCs, provide disaster planners with clinical expertise in geriatric care to assure that this vulnerable population’s needs are considered in community disaster response planning (Warshaw et al. JAMA. 2002;288(18):2313–9). This chapter will explore the role that AHCs have played in the past, their contributions to disaster preparedness today, and why they should continue to partner with the growing infrastructure of emergency preparedness in future disaster preparedness activities contributing to the public health and medical response.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984320 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-4320, USA

    Sharon Medcalf R.N., Ph.D.

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  1. Sharon Medcalf R.N., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Sharon Medcalf R.N., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Charles A. Cefalu

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Medcalf, S. (2014). The Role of Academic Health Centers in Disaster Preparedness. In: Cefalu, C. (eds) Disaster Preparedness for Seniors. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_18

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0664-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-0665-9

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