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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Patricia G. Bray, PhD and Diane A. Pavey. Health Charities, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, 3100 Main Street, Suite 800, Houston, TX 77002, 832.355.8919, pbray@sleh.com

St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities was organized as a public charity nine years ago and is now Texas' largest faith-based charity devoted to health. We have funded $60.5 million in 950 grants to nonprofit organizations in a 57 county area, including over $500,000 for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Since the mission of the charity is to serve the underserved, the lessons learned during Katrina can help to enhance the overall public health infrastructure. Philanthropies committed to funding health care interventions have a unique role to play within the community experiencing a disaster. Since grantmakers fund health care interventions, they are poised to quickly and efficiently assess, prioritize and fund necessary programs in response to a disaster. Since getting the funding to those in need is of primary importance during a disaster, these processes can serve as a guide to future policies established for the overall planning for the public health infrastructure. Another leadership role for philanthropy during a disaster is that of coordinating health care delivery services, including mental, dental and primary care. When a disaster occurs, the community can benefit from the previous connections and relationships developed between the philanthropy and the health community at large. With the Katrina experience, this was most important. For example, we were able to coordinate the dispatching of mobile health vans to shelters that housed Katrina evacuees. Coordination is the key element to the execution of a successful public health response to a disaster, whether it involves a natural disaster, terrorism or pandemics.

Learning Objectives:

• Coordinate direct health care service in a natural disaster.
• Direct mental health providers in a natural disaster.
• Assess, prioritize and fund emergent needs from a natural disaster.

Keywords: Disasters, Planning

Related Web page: www.slehc.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation