Harnessing the expertise and enthusiasm of university students for assistance in disasters

Authors

  • Sharon Medcalf, PhD
  • Mariah Morgan, MPH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2019.0420

Keywords:

disasters, public health agencies, response team, students, volunteer

Abstract

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s, College of Public Health modeled a student response team after similar successful programs at Emory University and the University of North Carolina. The team was created for three specific scenarios: epidemiology outbreak assistance, points of dispensing assistance, and monitoring social media in a disaster. Graduate students in public health are an overlooked volunteer resource. Many have prior work experience and are eager for the opportunity to gain additional practical experience while demonstrating classroom knowledge about the foundations of public health. Requesting agencies gain access to a dependable, replenishable volunteer pool. Academic institutions are encouraged to create teams to serve local communities, giving students access to serve local communities and to give students access to valuable applied experience that can be beneficial as they enter the public health workforce.

Author Biographies

Sharon Medcalf, PhD

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska

Mariah Morgan, MPH

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska

References

Horney JA, Davis MK, Ricchetti-Masterson KL, et al.: Fueling the public health workforce pipeline through student surge capacity response teams. J Community Health. 2014; 39 (1): 35-39.

Pogreba-Brown K, Harris RB, Stewart J, et al.: Outbreak investigation partnerships: Utilizing a student response team in public health responses. Public Health Rep. 2010; 125 (6): 916-922.

Student Response and Outbreak Team: 2016. Available at https://www.sph.emory.edu/rollins-life/orgs/sort/index.html. Accessed November 21, 2016.

MacDonald PD: Team Epi-Aid: Graduate student assistance with urgent public health response. Public Health Rep. 2005; 120 (1): 35-41.

MacDonald PD, Davis MK, Horney JA: Review of the UNC Team Epi-Aid graduate student epidemiology response program six years after implementation. Public Health Rep. 2010; 125 (5): 70-77.

Published

05/01/2019

How to Cite

Medcalf, PhD, S., and M. Morgan, MPH. “Harnessing the Expertise and Enthusiasm of University Students for Assistance in Disasters”. Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 17, no. 3, May 2019, pp. 213-6, doi:10.5055/jem.2019.0420.

Issue

Section

Articles