Alabama
Contact: James Hanley, MD, FAAP
E-mail:
jrhanley@usouthal.edu
The AAP Alabama Chapter has established a committee on disaster preparedness. This year, Chapter member James Hanley, MD, FAAP, directed Alabama's first Advanced HazMat Life Support Course, thanks to federal funding on emergency preparedness that was funneled through the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Dr Hanley also served as the pediatric emergency medicine representative on the USA Children's and Women's Hospital Committee that has worked with the ADPH to develop a triage and shelter plan for high risk OB-GYN patients during Hurricanes and other natural disasters. He is also serving as one of 3 physicians (and the only pediatrician) on the
Alabama Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team. As part of related efforts, he participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of Emergency Management course for disaster medical specialists.
Florida
Contact: Deborah Mulligan, MD, FAAP, FACEP
E-mail:
MulliganDeborah@aol.com
Contact: Scott Needle, MD, FAAP
E-mail:
sneedlemd@yahoo.com
The Florida AAP Chapter is creating a series of Web pages with information on disaster medicine as part of its Chapter Web site. Deborah A. Mulligan, MD, FAAP, FACEP, presented educational sessions at the 6th Annual Conference on Health, Disability and The Law June 20-21, 2008 and the Kentucky Osteopathic Medical Association Annual Conference June 26-29, 2008. Dr Mulligan is also developing a master disaster preparedness plan that can be used as a template for other AAP Chapters.
Scott Needle, MD, FAAP, is a member of the AAP Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council. He participated on a panel discussion on children and disasters at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance Division – Emergency Support Function "Building Partnerships for Progress" conference on June 5, 2008. Information on this presentation was shared with other chapter members via the Chapters' electronic mailing list.
Georgia
Contact: Natalie Lane, MD, FAAP
E-mail:
nlane@mcg.edu
Natalie Lane, MD, FAAP, is the chairperson for the Georgia AAP Chapter Committee on Emergency Care. In 2007, Dr Lane provided an educational presentation on the Pediatrician's Role in Disaster Preparedness and Management for continuing medical education (CME) credit to members of the Georgia AAP Chapter. Dr Lane regularly updates chapter leaders by presenting at Chapter Board meetings and general sessions for Chapter members.
Kentucky
Kentucky AAP Chapter Vice-President Steve Church, MD, FAAP, and Executive Director Mary York met with Department of Public Health officials to review and endorse a Kentucky disaster plan booklet which was distributed to families and pediatric offices in the Commonwealth. These efforts have been tabled until the emergency preparedness representative position is filled.
For more information, e-mail
DisasterReady@aap.org.
Mississippi
For more information, e-mail
DisasterReady@aap.org.
North Carolina
For more information, e-mail
DisasterReady@aap.org.
South Carolina
For more information, e-mail
DisasterReady@aap.org.
Tennessee
Most of the disaster preparedness efforts for children in the Sate of Tennessee occur through the Tennessee Committee on Pediatric Emergencies and the Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for Children program.
A summary of relevant projects follows.
1. A proposal was submitted to request funds to improve disaster preparedness programs in the State of Tennessee. Provisions of the grant included:
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Enhancing the Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for Children program Web site through the development and dissemination of pediatric-specific disaster information. Initial materials and information have been developed and are accessible on the Web site. Plans are ongoing to maintain and expand the Web site. |
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Providing Web-based continuing education courses. |
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Development of a pediatric toolbox for those facilities with limited or no Web access that replicates information provided online. |
2. A statewide survey was conducted among hospital facilities to assess pediatric capacity regarding readiness for disasters and/or mass casualties that involve children. Onsite visits at select facilities were conducted to identify the needs for these facilities to meet increased capacity for pediatric readiness.
3.
The current state requirements regarding pediatric emergency equipment were reviewed, and the need for additional equipment or training (based on current recommendations for mass disaster planning) was assessed.
4.
More than 1,000 Emergency Medical Services for Children reference guides and 500 wall charts were developed and disseminated throughout the State. These reference guides contained information on assessing and treating pediatric disaster victims such as pediatric resuscitation protocols, medications, antidotes for chemical agents and Jump-Start, a pediatric
triage system.
For more information, e-mail
DisasterReady@aap.org.
