YNHHS News Releases

Released August 4, 2004

Yale New Haven international disaster medicine conference scheduled in New Haven

The first Yale New Haven International Congress on Disaster Medicine and Emergency Management will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 12 and 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Omni Hotel, 155 Temple Street, New Haven, CT.

Sponsored by the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response, the two-day conference is geared toward hospital, pre-hospital, public safety and public health professionals. It will cover: the current best practices in health emergency management; recent progress in clinical disaster medicine; lessons learned from recent international and national disasters; and the latest research and development in disaster medicine and emergency management.

“Disasters, man-made and natural, continue to increase globally,” said Christopher Cannon, director of the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response. “We must remain vigilant, aware of emerging threats and aggressive in our search for solutions to counter their consequences. This congress is an opportunity to develop networks and lines of communication to foster and sustain global emergency preparedness efforts.”

The congress will offer eligible participants 12 CME (continuing medical education) credits upon completion of the program. In addition to Yale New Haven Health System and the Yale University School of Medicine, conference co-sponsors include the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine.

“At a time when the opportunities and challenges in American health care have never been greater, organizations like VHA support America’s voluntary health system through performance enhancement initiatives,” said Zaccagnino. “VHA is committed to assisting its member hospitals improve quality and performance and reduce health care costs. I am delighted to contribute to this important organization's work.”

Keynote speakers include: Paul K. Carlton, Jr., MD, director of Homeland Security, Texas A&M University & Health Sciences Center; Scott R. Lillibridge, MD, director of the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness, University of Texas Health Science Center; and Frederick M. Burkle, Jr., MD, MPH, director, Asia-Pacific Center for Biosecurity, Disaster and Conflict Research at the University of Hawaii.

The congress will offer competency-based education and training, create common approaches to emergency management and standards of clinical practice in disaster medicine; will help develop tools to support a standardized healthcare disaster research approach; and provide drills and exercises based upon realistic and likely scenarios to evaluate plans, practices, tools and training developed as a result of research and lessons learned.

Before the international congress begins, there will be a pre-conference workshop, on Saturday and Sunday, September 10-11, entitled “Health Disaster Management: Guidelines for Evaluation and Research in the Utstein Style.” This two-day workshop, to be held at 300 George Street in New Haven, will prepare participants to conduct evaluation and research into the pathophysiology of disasters including utilization of severity scores in disaster research and the collection and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative disaster research data.

Immediately following the Yale New Haven International Congress, from Wednesday - Saturday, September 14 -17, the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response and the American Medical Association are offering a series of three National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) courses - basic, advanced and instructor. The NDLS program prepares hospital and pre-hospital medical providers and allied health staff including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and others for effective response to natural and accidental disasters and terrorist events. CME credits are available for the basic and advanced classes.

This series of NDLS courses are open to both congress and non-congress attendees who may choose to participate in any or all of the three programs, provided they meet the prerequisites. Eligible participants completing the NDLS programs receive certificates of training which are valid for four years.

Participants - particularly those coming from other states or countries - are encouraged to take advantage of New Haven’s and New England’s social, cultural and recreational activities.

For more information, contact the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response at (203) 688-3224. Advance registration is required for the congress and the pre- and post-conference workshops. Online registration and forms can be accessed at the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response's Web site.

The Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response is committed to developing and delivering services that advance health care planning, preparedness and response for emergency events and disasters through collaborative partnerships and coordinated programs within Connecticut, across the nation and around the world.