The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) was one of more than 25 health care organizations who sponsored a Capitol Hill briefing, Public Health 101: The Public Health Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – Applying Lessons Learned, on Jan. 19, 2006. The event was organized by the Coalition for Health Funding. The briefing focused on public health responses before, during and after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
A discussion of maternal and child health needs in emergency and disaster situations was led by Dr. Gina Lagarde, medical director of the Maternal and Child Health Program in Louisiana. Dr. Lagarde described the catastrophic impact of the disasters on Louisiana’s health care system and population. Misinformation, lack of appropriate service and funding, and poor coordination of resources before, during and after the hurricane delayed health care services. Dr. Lagarde proposed many potential policy solutions, including the creation of a comprehensive Pediatric and Maternal Health Master Plan, disaster-specific training of health care providers, and synchronization of tracking mechanisms for health care volunteers and professionals.
ACNM provided written information related to maternal well-being in emergency situations; their materials included disaster preparedness strategies for women, the ACNM publication “Giving Birth in Place,” and stories from midwives who responded to calls for help after the hurricanes. “Giving Birth in Place” is a guide to emergency preparedness for childbirth, written by certified nurse-midwives. The guide helps women and their families know what to do if they go into labor during an emergency. To view the guide, visit http://www.mymidwife.org/index.cfm?id=107.
“We were proud to call attention to the special needs of women during disasters and to represent midwives at this event,” said Deanne Williams, CNM, ACNM executive director. “It was important to acknowledge the contribution of nurses, nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. Policies in Louisiana that make practice difficult for midwives were acknowledged as a barrier to getting services to women and this disastrous result could be the motivation that is needed to change these policies.”
Dr. Donald E. Williamson of the Alabama Department of Public Health outlined challenges to the public health system in the Gulf Coast region. Dr. Williamson asserted that shortcomings in shelter operations, lack of surge capacity, and misinformation impeded an effective public health response. In addition, lack of coordinated professional licensure verification and volunteer management were also major obstacles to the effective delivery of medical care during these emergencies.
Russell T. Jones, PhD, a professor of psychology at Virginia Tech, called for increased attention to the mental health needs of afflicted persons. He cited the alarmingly high rates of mental distress among hurricane victims, and the potential public health costs associated with treatment. Dr. Jones advocated bolstering the region’s mental health infrastructure, including enhanced research of the short and long-term effects of disaster-related trauma.
Additional information about this event can be found on the Coalition for Health Funding Web site at http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/healthfunding.