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Strategic Plan for Disaster Preparedness

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council (DPAC) has developed the following 3-year AAP Strategic Plan for Disaster Preparedness. Download a PDF of the Strategic Plan for 2012-2015.

Address Children's Needs
Advance legislative and federal advocacy to promote disaster preparedness and response for children.
    1. Enhance connections between federal children's working groups and the DPAC.
    2. Facilitate pediatric representation at national meetings.
    3. Increase references to addressing children's issues in federal documents.
    4. Produce and circulate documents that articulate AAP priority issues.
    5. Raise awareness of the benefits of connecting with the AAP and its subject matter experts (SMEs).
    6. Ensure inclusion of children in federally-funded initiatives and research and request that funding is provided to meet the needs of children at least proportional to their percent of the general population and their unique needs.
    7. Advocate for governmental support for aid for pediatricians after disasters.
    8. Promote the development of a National Clearinghouse for Children and Disasters and explore the role the AAP may play in such an endeavor.

Develop and implement a pediatric countermeasures agenda
    1. Produce a document that articulates AAP/DPAC priorities.
    2. Collaborate with and ensure pediatric expertise is incorporated within relevant federal agencies (ie, ASPR/HHS, BARDA, CDC, FDA, and other groups) to achieve an adequate supply of medical countermeasures for children in the Strategic National Stockpile.

Promote awareness of pediatric preparedness principles.
    1. Identify a list of specific issues to be addressed and advocate for resources to be allocated to priority initiatives.
    2. Work with Save the Children, Trust for America's Health, and other groups to ensure report cards include measures for children.
    3. Review AAP policy statements with references to disaster preparedness to determine which, if any, would benefit from AAP DPAC input and/or authorship.
    4. Maintain and enhance the AAP Children and Disasters Web Site.
            a.    Increase awareness of the Web site.
            b.    Connect to other key Web sites.
            c.    Ensure AAP disaster response messages direct others to the Web site.

Support improved pediatric disaster readiness at regional/state levels.
    1. Increase state-specific pediatric and public health partnerships.
      1. Build on the existing productive and collaborative partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote pediatric preparedness.
      2. Implement follow-up from the AAP/CDC Enhancing Pediatric Partnerships to Promote Pandemic Preparedness meeting.
           a.    Produce/circulate a Pediatric Preparedness Resource Kit.
           b.            Work with 10 state teams to implement action plans.
           c.            Support all 59 US-based AAP Chapters to form teams and develop preparedness plans.
      3. Encourage sharing of resources between states.
      4. Help AAP Chapter leaders to connect with other groups (academic institutions that conduct preparedness initiatives, state grantees, emergency response contacts, etc.).
      5. Encourage development of state collaborations and regional response networks.

Maintain pediatric disaster expert and contact networks to respond effectively to inquiries and requests for subject matter expertise.
    1. Continue to utilize the existing AAP Influenza Work Group (ie, FluPeds) to promote influenza preparedness.
    2. Identify pediatric SMEs who can offer guidance to the AAP on issues related to anthrax and form an AAP Anthrax Work Group.
    3. Determine and implement a mechanism to keep track of various AAP members who can serve as SMEs for disaster preparedness and response topics.
    4. Support the identification of AAP district-level contacts for disaster preparedness and provide them with information to help them connect with governmental regional representatives.

Support Pediatricians to Serve Children and Families
Develop a plan or process to provide support to AAP Chapters, pediatric societies, and providers in the aftermath of a disaster, related to response and recovery.
  1. Discuss how the AAP and DPAC can be of most assistance to Chapters in the immediate and long-term aftermath of disasters.
  2. Compile a list of AAP support options for Chapters.
  3. Highlight resources available from the AAP and other sources.
  4. Utilize lessons learned from Chapters that have been affected by recent disasters to guide future efforts.
  5. Identify and share sources of aid for pediatricians after disasters.
  6. Disseminate strategies to promote pediatrician self-care after a disaster.

Assist pediatric leaders to address the immediate and long-term physical and mental health, educational, housing, and human services recovery needs of children.
  1. Compile/develop and disseminate resources for pediatricians and parents/caregivers to enable them to help children by providing psychological first aid and bereavement support and identifying those who will benefit from counseling and mental health services.
  2. Address the issues raised in the 2010 Report of the National Commission on Children and Disasters as related to addressing the mental health/recovery needs of children impacted by disasters. 

Promote the development of disaster-related educational and training materials for pediatricians.
  1. Revise/update key chapters within the Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness manual.
  2. Work with other groups to secure funding for pediatrician education/training programs.

Increase pediatric resident exposure and knowledge about disaster preparedness and response.
  1. Engage the Pediatric Residency Program Directors in a dialogue about a pediatric resident curriculum for emergency readiness/disaster preparedness.
  2. Provide information in an AAP policy, technical report, or other document.
  3. Work with the Section on Medical Students, Residents, and Fellowship Trainees and the Section on Young Physicians to raise awareness of pediatric disaster preparedness and response initiatives.

Increase the number of pediatricians who have an office practice and personal disaster preparedness plan.
  1. Adapt the Disaster Preparedness for Pediatric Practices tool to improve its usefulness.
  2. Gather information on how the tool can be used to support members to receive Maintenance of Certification or other credit.
  3. Disseminate information about the tool to AAP members.
  4. Discuss how to offer incentives to pediatricians who develop a plan.

Consider methods to improve family preparedness.
  1. Seek funding to create and model a disaster readiness program, perhaps as an adjunct to The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP).
  2. Identify and pursue strategies to encourage discussions between pediatricians and families about disaster preparedness (by adding information to Bright Futures, offering a brochure for pediatricians to give families, assisting to coordinate a public awareness campaign, etc).

Enhance International Disaster Relief
Work with AAP leaders, the Office of International Affairs, and relevant Committees, Sections, and Councils to determine a plan for the AAP response to international disaster relief that includes activities of the AAP as well as advocacy efforts.
  1. Collaborate with the International Pediatric Association and others to determine a plan to enhance pediatric care capabilities within international disaster response.
  2. Work with US government representatives to develop mechanisms that facilitate the involvement of pediatricians in international disaster relief efforts as well as ensure that their safety and well-being is protected.
  3. Meet with the Sections on International Child Health and Emergency Medicine to discuss a mechanism to update the Pediatric Education in Disasters materials.
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