PUBLIC HEALTH
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Beyond Registries: Better Solutions for People With Disabilities
Emergency planners often identify volunteer disaster registries as a solution for assisting people with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster despite serious flaws with this approach. Perhaps this is because jurisdictions do not understand that there are better options and how to implement them. The National Council on Disability (NCD) asserted in a May 24, 2019, report that it:[C]annot overstate how detrimental registries for people with disabilities are in disasters. Stakeholders across the spectrum…
Most Recent

Cybersecurity in Hospitals and the Public Health Sector
Daniel Scherr and Tanya M. Scherr
September 13, 2023
Cyberattacks on healthcare systems affect millions of patients each year. It is critical for agencies and organizations to build a culture of compliance and awareness for the system’s security and the safety of the patients.

Responding to the Call – The Cost of Caring for Others
Mary Schoenfeldt
September 13, 2023
There is a cost to caring for others, but it does not need to be a lifelong debt that continues to overwhelm the people who stepped up and those around them. The cost can be manageable with the right plan of support and the willingness to explore coping options.

Bioterrorism – Could Smallpox Return?
Robert C. Hutchinson
September 6, 2023
Although smallpox was eradicated from its human population and reservoir, it is still in designated stockpiles controlled by two nations and possibly in other unknown locations. Learn about the possible threat and the need for greater preparedness and discussion.

Targeted Violence in Schools: Are Future Educators Prepared?
Danielle Arias, Jesse Spearo and Kelley L. Davis
August 23, 2023
Targeted-violent events threaten staff and students’ physical, psychological, and emotional well-being in public schools. However, the increasing frequency of these incidents raises concerns about the preparedness of incoming teachers and current staff to handle such incidents.
PUBLIC HEALTH Archives
Article Out Loud – Targeted Violence in Schools: Are Future Educators Prepared?
Danielle Arias, Jesse Spearo and Kelley L. Davis
August 23, 2023
Targeted-violent events threaten staff and students’ physical, psychological, and emotional well-being in public schools. However, the increasing frequency of these incidents raises concerns about the
Deploying With Adult Non-Prescription Medication Kits
Richard (Kirk) Higgins
August 16, 2023
The availability of non-prescription medications may mean the difference between a successful deployment and needing to return home ahead of schedule. As such, first responders
Community Preparedness for the Socially & Civically Isolated
George Schwartz
August 9, 2023
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of American adults reported feeling lonely. A lack of engagement can have serious health effects for socially isolated
Long-Term Care Facilities in Emergency Preparedness Planning
Tanya M. Scherr and Daniel Scherr
July 19, 2023
An important part of community emergency preparedness planning includes long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, dialysis, home care centers, or hospice facilities. Plans must
Creating a New Standard for Evaluating Tabletop Exercises
John Duda and Scott J. Glick
July 5, 2023
Tabletop exercises are vital in preparing organizations to respond to critical incidents. However, an industry standard has not emerged on how to evaluate their effectiveness.
Are Public Health Agencies Ready, or Just Prepared?
Raphael Barishansky
June 21, 2023
Is it time to retire the term public health preparedness and replace it with public health readiness? When building emergency planning efforts and response capabilities,
PUBLIC HEALTH
- Articles
- Communication & Interoperability
- Critical Infrastructure
- Emergency Management
- Feature
- Public Health
- Science & Technology
- Transportation
Beyond Registries: Better Solutions for People With Disabilities
Emergency planners often identify volunteer disaster registries as a solution for assisting people with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster despite serious flaws with this approach. Perhaps this is because jurisdictions do not understand that there are better options and how to implement them. The National Council on Disability (NCD) asserted in a May 24, 2019, report that it:[C]annot overstate how detrimental registries for people with disabilities are in disasters. Stakeholders across the spectrum…
Most Recent

Food and Agriculture Sector Perspectives
Aurelia Berisha, Isaac Dietrich, Ben Dinsmore, Bert Cramer and Heather Allen
June 7, 2023
The U.S. Food and Agriculture (FA) Sector is composed of complex production, processing, and delivery systems that can feed

Challenges With Pediatric Mass Care Feeding
Michael Prasad and Jennifer Russell
May 10, 2023
The national-level guidance on mass care feeding for state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations (SLTTs) comes from the Federal Emergency

Perfect Storm: Albuterol Shortage & Supply Chain Upset
Tom Cotter
May 3, 2023
As of 2020, albuterol was the seventh most commonly prescribed medication in the U.S., with more than an estimated 17

Covenant School – Reviewing Another Tragic Shooting
Tanya M. Scherr and Daniel Scherr
April 19, 2023
The Covenant School shooting is another reminder of active shooter trends. This article reviews the chain of events from that
PUBLIC HEALTH Archives
Leader of the Pack – Canine Detection
Barb Clark
March 8, 2023
In the wake of a disaster, time is critical for locating survivors and recovering bodies. This type of work requires training, skills, and abilities acquired
An Integrated Public Safety Approach for Evolving Threats
Eva Jernegan
March 1, 2023
Evolving threats require integrated public safety approaches. Concepts like the Rescue Task Force, models like the Cynefin Framework, and numerous other available resources can help
Winter Storm – Reimagining Recovery Using Support Functions
Jamie Hannan and Stephanie Wright
February 1, 2023
Out of first-time events come many important lessons learned. For example, information must be disseminated using familiar terminology when an unfamiliar event occurs. In addition,
Crisis Standards of Care – A Mental Health Perspective
James Greenstone
January 25, 2023
Crisis standards of care and sufficiency of care are topics of great controversy and debate in professional circles. The reasons may be obvious to most.
The Pony Express Rides Again
Monty Dozier
January 18, 2023
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care providers and facilities, local jurisdictions, and state agencies struggled to acquire personal protective equipment (PPE),
Beachie Creek Fire – A Practitioner’s Firsthand Account
Charles (Chuck) Perino
January 4, 2023
When disaster strikes, sometimes those trained to respond find themselves and their families fleeing from the fire. Once their families are safe, they jump back