Read about the PHAST trip to the Gulf Coast in Findings

PHAST is a student-driven group with a faculty advisor whose mission is to make public health practice opportunities more accessible to students.

The main objective is to actively assist local and state health departments in meeting the demands of certain public health events, disasters and investigations. For example, PHAST students:

• Worked with Washtenaw County Public Health Department on an emergency preparedness drill focused on running a flu clinic and administering vaccines.
• Assisted University Health Service with administering a survey at home football games to assess effectiveness of a social marketing campaign related to safe alcohol use.
• Worked with the Barry-Eaton District Health Department and the Michigan Department of Community Health on a food borne outbreak investigation.
• Assisted the Genesee County Health Department with an anthrax exposure exercise.
• Worked with the Wayne County Airport Authority on an aircraft disaster and preparedness training exercise.

Eligibility

To participate in PHAST you must:

1. Be a registered SPH student in good academic standing
2. Attend the September 20, 2008 training. If you missed the informational meeting on September 11, click here for the presented materials.
3. Complete the online trainings listed below-

Online Training

Required:

• IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System
• IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
• University of Michigan HIPAA training
• University of Michigan PEERRS training-2 modules

1. Foundations of Good Research Practice
2. Human Research- Social and Behavioral Sciences

Strongly Recommended:

• IS-800 National response Plan (NRP), An Introduction
• Chemical Terrorism
• Environmental Health

Week-long Deployments

PHAST Spring Break Trip

PHAST has deployed teams of students to participate in public health field experiences during the week of spring break. Previous trips include:

• 2008: 30 students worked at the Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in China. Read their blog.
• 2007: 26 students continued hurricane recovery work in New Orleans, LA and Biloxi, MS
• 2006: 40 PHAST students assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Biloxi, MS, Bogalusa, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, and New Orleans, LA. Read their blog.

Other Extended Deployments

In May 2008, 8 PHAST students participated in a community-based research project involving qualitative survey data collection and analysis with Delta State University in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi.  This was the third trip by PHAST students to continue a partnership developed with Delta State University and their efforts to assist the Gulf coast region impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Click here for information about the 2008-2009 PHAST trips

Faculty Advisors

Matthew L. Boulton, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Epidemiology

Associate Dean for Practice

JoLynn P. Montgomery, MPH, PhD

Research Investigator, Department of Epidemiology

Director, Michigan Center for Public Health Preparedness

 

PHAST Coordinator

Dana Thomas, MPH

University of Michigan School of Public Health

Office of Public Health Practice

109 Observatory Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

(734) 763-9234

phast@umich.edu

HEALTH DEPARTMENTS:
To request the help of PHAST students, complete a PHAST Deployment Application and email to phast@umich.edu or call (734) 763-9234 and have the information requested on this form ready to provide to the PHAST Coordinator.

Deployment requests during UM fall and winter semesters (September through April) tend to get the best response from students. PHAST may be unable to respond to requests during the summer months.

Read about the 2008 PHAST trip to China.

PHAST RESPONSE:
PHAST students volunteered in the Gulf Coast to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts during Spring Break 2006 and 2007. Read the 2006 blog.