20231010-T002

During disaster response, the focus is on saving lives and providing medical care, conducting needs assessments, and ensuring infection prevention. The recovery phase involves stabilizing efforts and restoring critical functions. Prevention, mitigation, and preparedness are important to reduce risks. Partnerships are crucial for pooling resources, accessing specialized expertise, extending geographic coverage, coordinating efforts, and engaging the community. during all of those phases with arguably the biggest impact on the phases before the disaster strikes. Initially, in the response phase, the focus is on saving lives, but that work continues with much involvement from public health later in the response, and especially during the recovery phase, which can take years to complete. Next question. During my time at CDC, I was involved in over 25 disaster response efforts, ranging from hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, pandemics, and floods, to the effects of war, civil unrest, terrorism, and managing displaced people. I worked to conduct mortality and morbidity surveillance, rapid needs assessments, environmental health inspections, educating community leaders and the public, establishing special medical needs shelters, ensuring infection prevention and control methods were being followed, conducting health screenings, training local public health staff, and investigating outbreaks. The most recent event I was involved with was the devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky in 2022. Within a month of the flood, we conducted a rapid needs assessment at CASPER, Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, in eight counties. After the initial first responder efforts, public health leaders throughout the region, in coordination with emergency managers and elected officials, worked with their public health staff, university public health student volunteers, and federal agencies to gather household information to assess public perceptions and estimate needs in the impacted communities. This led to increased communication with survivors and a rapid increase in requested mental health resources following the disaster. Next question. One of the most challenging disasters was the influx of unaccompanied children at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2014. The policies and procedures were always changing. It is very politically charged, and the needs of those trying to cross the border are great. The children who are smuggled across the border by paid coyotes face many health risks along the way and even more challenges as they are placed in custodial care. We worked in coordination with Customs and Border Patrol to conduct health screenings of the children to ensure they received appropriate medical care and were not exposing others to infectious disease. It is a heartbreaking situation, with many exploited along the way to the U.S., facing uncertain futures, especially when relatives who were falsely identified claimed custody and would whisk them away. The policies aren't set up to handle that. Another difficult situation was the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. This disaster caused unimaginable hardship and death, on top of communities already struggling with civil unrest and extreme poverty. Witnessing the number of dead and the injured who had little hope of full recovery took its toll on me as a responder. Haitians are the most resilient people I have ever met, and that is out of necessity to survive in Haiti. Their grit and perseverance provide such hope in the face of insurmountable suffering. I don't think one can ever truly prepare for or fully recover from that level of devastation, but Haitians make the best with what they have and carry on. Next question. The prevention phase involves planning to prevent hazards from occurring and is key to reduce the risk of loss of life and injury. I worked in prevention throughout my career by encouraging the public to make plans for disasters, ensuring they have steps to take to evacuate, also with their pets, taking enough medications if they're evacuated, working with local leaders to develop environmental plans to ensure they can adequately manage challenges to the systems, or evacuate residents with special medical needs, and also provide health education about the importance of vaccines and health screenings. In the mitigation phase, activities are undertaken to reduce the efforts of unavoidable disasters. Zoning requirements, building codes, and public health and safety policies help to protect citizens. I worked with state and local governments, as well as ministries of health, throughout my career to ensure they had safety policies for distribution, training, and the use of personal protective equipment. Food safety and inspection plans were developed for shelters. Infection prevention and control policies were in place while planning for shelters and medical treatment facilities. That end is kind of weird. Do you want to do it again? Yeah. I'm going to move over here. I just want to make sure this clicks. Okay. In the mitigation phase, activities are undertaken to reduce the effects of unavoidable... In the mitigation phase, activities are undertaken to reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters. Zoning requirements, building codes, and public health and safety policies are put in place to help protect citizens. I worked with state and local governments, as well as ministries of health, throughout my career to ensure that they had appropriate safety policies in place for distribution, training, and use of personal protective equipment, established food safety and inspection plans for emergency shelters, policies for infection prevention and control in the planning of sheltering displaced populations, as well as ensuring the safety of medical treatment facilities. The preparedness phase focuses on readiness with a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action. Coordination and cooperation are key to develop mutual aid agreements, training response personnel and volunteers, testing capabilities, and conducting all hazards education campaigns. An example of this work I did in Zambia... Maybe I can just cut into it. An example of this is the work I did in Zambia in 2018 to prepare for outbreaks, especially the risk of exposure to Ebola virus along the border with Congo DR. We coordinated with many international partners to ensure readiness and multi-agency, multi-country cooperation. In the response phase, there is an initial... In the response phase, there is an initial reaction to the disaster when first responders are on the scene in the immediate aftermath to save lives, reduce economic losses, and alleviate suffering. There is reconnaissance, clearing roadways, rescuing survivors, and providing essential needs of food, water, shelter, and medical care. In several hurricane responses in Louisiana and New Jersey, as well as tornadoes in Kentucky, I worked closely with local public health officials to ensure medical care and shelter were adequate for the needs of the population. I monitored food and water safety and led surveillance efforts to track morbidity and mortality. The recovery phase consists of activities beyond the emergency period to stabilize efforts and restore critical functions. During this phase, debris is cleaned up, utilities are restored, financial assistance is provided, there is rebuilding and sustained care for displaced human and animal populations. I worked with public health leaders in Afghanistan in 2009 to rebuild... I worked with public health leaders in Afghanistan in 2009 to rebuild health care systems for women and also to train physicians and veterinarians on epidemiology and outbreak investigation methods to better ensure the health and safety of their communities. Partnerships are absolutely critical to the success of disaster response efforts. This relationship building needs to occur in the prevention, mitigation, or preparedness phases. It's important that you are not exchanging business... Oh, my goodness, I'll just start over. Why don't you pause? Do you want to get some water first? Yeah. Am I starting to crack? Well, you need a little break after recess. All right, next question. Partnerships are absolutely critical to the success of disaster response efforts. This relationship building needs to occur in the prevention, mitigation, or preparedness phases. It's important that you are not exchanging business cards in the midst of a disaster. Let's use an example of widespread flooding. Significant infrastructure damage occurs, there are displaced residents, and potentially extreme hot or cold weather conditions. The first step is resource mobilization. Responding to a disaster of this magnitude requires a vast array of resources, including personnel, equipment, medical supplies, food, water, and shelter. No single organization or agency is likely to have all the necessary resources readily available. Partnerships with various government agencies, non-governmental organizations or NGOs, and community groups as well as businesses can help pool resources and ensure that critical supplies and services are efficiently distributed. The next step is specialized expertise. Different organizations bring unique expertise to the table. For example, a medical NGO may have specialized medical teams capable of providing emergency health care, while a local community group may have intimate knowledge of the affected areas and its residents. Collaborating with these partners allows you to tap into their specialized skills and knowledge to better address the needs of the affected population. Geographic coverage. Disaster-affected areas can be vast, making it challenging for a single organization to cover all the affected communities. Partnerships with organizations that have a presence in different areas can extend the reach of response efforts, ensuring that help reaches remote and underserved areas. Coordination and information sharing. Effective coordination among response agencies is essential to avoid duplication of efforts to ensure efficient resource allocation and maintain a coherent response strategy. Partnerships facilitate the sharing of critical information and help establish a unified command structure, which is crucial for a well-coordinated response. Community engagement. Local community organizations and leaders often have valuable insights into the needs and priorities of affected populations. Partnering with these groups fosters community engagement and trust, making it easier to tailor response efforts to the specific needs of the affected communities. Capacity building. Collaborative efforts not only address immediate needs but also contribute to long-term resilience. Partnerships can involve capacity... I'll start over. You're doing great. All right. Capacity building. Collaborative efforts not only address immediate needs but also contribute to long-term resilience. Partnerships can involve capacity building initiatives that help communities better prepare for future disasters, reducing their vulnerability. So overall, partnerships and disaster response efforts are essential because they leverage the strengths and resources of various organizations and agencies to provide a more comprehensive and effective response. They ensure that the right resources get to the right places at the right time, ultimately saving lives and reducing the suffering of disaster-affected populations. I kind of wonder if that one... I should look. Okay. Let's see if I can... I wonder... Those are the microphones. Can I just sit in here? I can probably sit on this one. Can you just stand here? Oh, it's too far away. I'll try. Can you see it on this? Nope. Okay. Now I can. There you go. Partnerships and disaster response efforts are essential because they leverage the strengths and resources of various organizations and agencies to provide a more comprehensive and effective response. They ensure that the right resources get to the right places at the right time, ultimately saving lives and reducing the suffering of disaster-affected populations. I can try it again. I wish I could see myself. This thing blocks me. Okay. Oh, fix your necklace. Bring your necklace to the middle. There you go. Okay. Okay. There you go. Partnerships and disaster response efforts are essential because they leverage the strengths and resources of various organizations and agencies to provide a more comprehensive and effective response. They ensure that the right resources get to the right places at the right time, ultimately saving lives and reducing the suffering of disaster-affected populations. The number one challenge with any activity is communication. The only way to effectively manage this challenge in disaster work is through the effective use of the preparedness and readiness. What the heck am I saying here? Effective use of the preparedness and management is the effective use of... This doesn't make any sense. I left something out. Okay. The number one challenge with any activity is communication. The only way to effectively manage this challenge in disaster work is through effective partnership building, following the steps in the disaster cycle for preparedness and ensuring readiness. Through a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking action before a disaster strikes, one can help improve communication efforts. I have been part of response efforts when the communication utterly failed. There were no partnerships in place. Response leaders didn't know what resources they had nor how to mobilize any resources effectively. When there is no clear chain of command, leaders are ineffective, and often too many organizations may rush in to help in an uncoordinated manner. This often leads to duplicated efforts, inappropriate resources provided that are not based on actual needs, or even worse, the uninvited responders burden an already struggling infrastructure and may become victims of the event themselves. I have also seen great partnerships working effectively, such as during the Eastern Kentucky flood response when the whole community came together to help each other. Leaders knew who to call and how to get resources to their communities. Despite the disaster occurring with little to no warning, lives were saved by the quick actions of community members and leaders who coordinated response efforts and also implemented quick recovery. Plans that had been exercised were implemented effectively. I have also seen great partnerships working effectively, such as during the Eastern Kentucky flood response when the whole community came together to help each other. Leaders knew who to call and how to get resources to their communities. Despite the disaster occurring with little to no warning, lives were saved by the quick actions of community members and leaders who coordinated response efforts and also implemented quick recovery. Plans that had been exercised were implemented effectively. Leaders knew who to call and how to get resources to their communities. Despite the disaster occurring with little to no warning, lives were saved by the quick actions of community members and leaders who coordinated response efforts and also implemented quick recovery. I have also seen great partnerships working effectively, such as during the Eastern Kentucky flood response when the whole community came together to help each other. How do I get through all that? It's because you've been through all of this. That's why. Just take your time. I have also seen great partnerships working effectively, such as during the Eastern Kentucky flood response when the whole community came together to help each other. Leaders knew who to call and how to get resources to their communities. Despite the disaster occurring with little to no warning, lives were saved by the quick actions of community members and of leaders who coordinated response and recovery efforts. Plans that had been exercised were implemented effectively. Volunteer organizations were plugged into the response efforts appropriately, and the immediate response locally and from the state ensured quick actions to secure federal resources. As the long-term recovery is still underway, policies are also being implemented to improve housing options, increase mental health and economic resources, and rebuilding infrastructure so that the community has areas to live in that are less prone to flooding. The end! Yay! That was actually really helpful to go through and do it that way. And we can still decide to do some video parts. So do I have a good sounding framing voice? That's what I always say. I'm sounding more like him now. The thicker you get. So that was actually really helpful to go through all that because I can pull out now, like, where we need your B-roll and where we can use stock photos. So I just have, like, in here I just have it written like DR B-roll. So what I'll do is go through here and then the career spotlight video and I'll send you the list of the B-roll we need. So that way, that will help you kind of narrow it down. Yeah. And, like, for each of those things where I said, I don't know, I also don't like where I said, step one, because one was there. Like, one, resource mobilization. And then I took away the number for the rest of them. And I'm like, okay, stop saying the numbers because you don't have to remember three, four. Good job. Sorry, I know that was a lot. That's okay. You know what was funny? When I did this teleprompter recording for this whole training for the CDC, they were like, I just kept reading. I just kept going. And they were just like, oh, my God, you're the first person we've ever seen who just can keep on going. Was I breaking something in the drink water? Yeah. I just wanted to keep going. I think the milk gets too dry. But I think it was partly I just wanted to get it. Mm-hmm. Here, you can sign this, too. Okay, today is 10-10? No. This is? Yep. Okay. I don't have to fill out all this. Oh, man. Good job. I know that was a lot. That was really helpful, though. I'm really glad, actually, that we did that. All right. So I don't need to fill it. Only if you're now. No. Okay. So you have to sign. Yeah, that, too. Oh, and I have to write in there. So nobody's been in here since O'Shea? Mm-hmm. He said they usually have people in like twice a week. Somebody who's been in here ages 75. Yeah. So how did O'Shea do? He's pretty. He used to be a professor, too. He's great. He was an assistant professor, I think, somewhere. He's got a lot of energy that comes through. I mean, he's similar to you. You know, we had to back up a few times, and we went back at the very end, and if there was something he felt like he couldn't answer, he just didn't answer well the first time he did it again. Yeah. I hope I don't have sweaty armpits. Oh, my gosh, I would. I was so glad that I was on camera last time because I was a sweaty mess. It was really humid that day. Oh, gosh. And I'm like perimenopausal, so the sweating is new to me. Oh, my gosh. Guess where I went into menopause? I was like, oh, my God, it's so hot here. It's so hot. I died. And then I was like, oh. It's like an internal heat. I know. You can't turn it off. Even enough fans can't. I mean, you can't get enough choir. And then I was like, do you need the fan on all the time? He's like, yes, listen to me. Do you want to trade? Because I will give you all of this. There is hope. I don't have to deal with it anymore, but I did take, um, Did you hormone-driven? I did the over-the-counter. Um, I don't have the hot flashes anymore, but I started taking Premarin, and now I'm on this one called Enterorhosis, because of the other, like irritability, forget. I can't remember. How did you know to take that? Did your doctor say to take it? So, first my GYN, when I was kind of starting menopause, parodying menopause, right? She recommended the Estrogen, and that's what I used the whole time I was in Africa. I would say it helped some, but, of course, I'm like, you know, it's a lot of two-fifths in there. So it's tough. Yeah. Um, and then I don't think I really dealt with it when I came back to the States, but I noticed, like, I just, like the forgetfulness. Yeah. I can't remember words. I'm like, am I getting dementia? Like, what? I can't, what's the word for like the, what is this? Oh, microphone. Like, I'm done. It's ridiculous. I feel like I'm like, okay, so you go from, like, not remembering because of lack of sleep in babies, and then you, like, go into a world where you're so tired because you're so little in the kids, and you're not, and then you go into the world of your menopause where you don't get enough sleep because you, hormones are changing. And then you just forget because it's menopause. Great. Yeah. It's wonderful. Who does this to people? But I talk to my, well, oh, TMI, but vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness? Oh, the real thing. Oh, my God. That's it. My best friend has. That's what made me go to the gynecologist when I was back in the U.S. Yeah. So I'm like, okay. That's full onset, though, the menopause, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so that came after, like, all the hot flashes and all that stuff. Then later, just the dryness. Yeah. You don't produce as much mucus and stuff. So, yeah, anyway, that's what led me. Well, so my. To go to the Premeron, and then. That's what my best friend, she has. Nobody told me about that. No, they don't. That's why I'm going to say it, because it's a real thing, and it is miserable, and. I think people talk about it now more. Well, that's not. That was. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. 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