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COM Outlook . Spring 2015
ver the last decade, the United States was among
the top five countries affected by natural disasters.
Events such as the recent Ebola outbreak and cases
making their way to the United States, hurricanes
Katrina and Sandy, and the attacks on September 11, 2001,
indicate a lack of preparedness in the U.S. health care system
that is widespread. This fact has not been lost on NSU-COM
students, who took it upon themselves to start a new club—
the Disaster Medicine Club—in January 2014.
Since disasters affect individuals from all walks of life
and have a significant impact on the health professions, the
Disaster Medicine Club set out to be different from other
NSU-COM clubs. Its goal is to involve students from all NSU
Health Professions Division (HPD) programs in an effort to
create an interprofessional group, much like what is found
in the workplace environment when preparing for and re-
sponding to disasters and emergencies. This approach aligns
with the vision of Craig Fugate, administrator of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency, which encompasses
engaging the “whole community,” involving professionals
from many diverse sectors alongside members and organiza-
tions from the community.
The Disaster Medicine Club is making a concentrated
effort to recruit all HPD students as well as graduate and
Disaster
Medicine Club
Preparing Students
for an
Unpredictable World
By Kelley Davis, Ph.D., Director of the M.S. in
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Program
Angela Garcia, Pharm.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor of Public Health
Kristi Messer, M.P.H., M.S.W., Assistant Professor of
Public Health and Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
O
