By: Danielle Buechler, HBHE 2nd Year

The seventh annual University of Michigan School of Public Health Schoolwide S ymposium proposed a question that has been on many American’s minds since the controversial relief efforts for the Katrina and Rita hurricane catastrophes in 2005.  The question was “Are we prepared?”  Leading experts from across the country were called in to answer this question from a public health perspective and its implications on “Katrina, Catastrophes, and Communicable Disease Calamities.” 

The diverse line-up of speakers included a professor of geography to a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, and complimented a wide array of manmade disaster related topics from the impact of catastrophes on mental health to modeling for natural disasters and pandemics.  From a Health Behavior Health Education standpoint, the take home message was that if we are truly going to improve the quality of life after a detrimental natural catastrophe, we must make progress towards an interdisciplinary approach and recognize the unique social forces and human actions in play during a natural disaster. 

Symposium presenters:
Eric Noji, MD, MPH 
Dr. Noji is a Senior Health Advisor for Chemical and Biological Medical Readiness to both the Pentagon’s Chemical & Biological Medical Readiness to the Pentagon’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  He provided an overview on the consequences specific to public health in the face of disaster.

Susan Cutter, PhD
Dr. Cutter is the Carolina Distinguished Professor of Geography at the University of South Carolina and directs the Hazards Research Lab.  She gave insight as to how social vulnerability is a great factor in disaster relief and how people can actually measure that.

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, MPH
Dr. Galea is Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.  He demonstrated the unfortunate trend of mental health after a disaster, and how catastrophes can both directly and indirectly affect population’s mental health.

Dean Sienko, MD
Dr. Sienko is Medical Director of the Ingham County Health Department and Chief Medical Examiner for Ingham County.  He served the U.S. Army for 24 years.  Through his unique experiences, he was able to relay public health outcomes in times of war.

Paul R. Kleindorfer, PhD
Dr. Kleindorfer is the Anheuser Busch Professor Emeritus of Management Service at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Research Professor at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.  He explained the importance of catastrophe modeling for natural disasters and pandemics.   

 The School of Public Health symposiums bring everyone together to formulate an interdisciplinary approach to a public health problem.  It serves as continuing education and professional development for current students, faculty, and public health professionals.  For more information about the public health symposiums, please visit http://www.sph.umich.edu/symposium/