Analyze

I am interested in seeing how social ties and networks have been used to cope with (un)natural disasters. My research focus on places under disasters conditions such as Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria, in which social ties have made the difference between life and death. Furthermore, “natural” disaster has been used to approved austerity measures and unjust policies to impoverished communities like in New Orleans after Katrina. These policies were not new, as they are rooted in structures of power to preserve the status quo. Yet, people have resisted, “through a network of branches, cultures, and geographies” that has stimulated a reflective process of looking within for solutions rather than outside. As often this outside solutions are not only detached from community’s reality but can perpetuate social injustices and inequalities.

McKittrick, K., & Woods, C. A. (Eds.). (2007). Black geographies and the politics of place. South End Press.

Bullard, R. D., & Wright, B. (Eds.). (2009). Race, place, and environmental justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to reclaim, rebuild, and revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Westview Press.

This article has been cited and referred to in an study published in the Journal of Radiological Protection. It is entitled 'Chernobyl and Fukushima-where are we now?' Written by Richard Wakeford. 

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0952-4746/36/2/E1

This paper is also referenced by 9 other papers and is published in numerous oncology related journals.

There was no emergency response addressed in this article directly. Yet, I believe patient narrative and the understanding of the connection between cultural stigmas or background and patient narrative is so imperative for EMS and other healthcare providers. It is crucial for emergency responders to understand possible cultural influences on patients and how that might effect their perception of their illness or how they reflect what they are experiencing to you as the their health care provider. 

American Red Cross doesn't claim to have or offer new or unique techniques to attending to disaster. Yet in my opinion, The American Red Cross is one of the greatest organizations in terms of disaster response and it is truly made up of people who want to help others. We are lucky to have such a large scale magnitude of volunteers gathered through one organization to answer to both small needs in their community, be it a blood drive or house fire, to large disaster relief efforts after Katrina or 9/11. The American Red Cross has single handedly offered aid to so many families in America and saved more lives than any other single independent organization run by a majority of volunteers. The American Red Cross offers a wide range of coverage in terms of disaster types they respond to and frequency, so in my opinion, they are a very, very unique organization and offer something that I have not seen any other organization offer the way they do.

This was touched upon a little in a previous question. Many cases of patient dumping were popping up around America. Patients in need  of emergency medical care were being cast aside, ignored and delayed due to their inability to pay. In addition to the stab patient, Eugene Barnes that sparked this law, there were dozens of other cases where patients needed to be transferred to larger hospitals but the hospital refused to take patients without insurance, so the patients died. There were cases of people being asked right before surgery for a deposit, and being unable to pay were discharged with no surgery. There was also a very high rate of dead babies that were arising due to the fact that mothers in labor were being turned away because the patient was uninsured. It was then realized by the government that there were no legal duties for a hospital to treat people who are in emergency situations but cannot pay, only ethical and moral duties, which apparently weren't enough in some cases. This led to the birth of the EMTALA, requiring medical attention to all ED patients as well as transfers if needed to stabilize, including mothers in labor.

I think that adding more evidentiary support such as data analysis r statistics would have enhanced this video's educational value. It would have shown the physical evidence and the magnitude of the disaster. I also believe that citing more government officials and getting statements from more hospital workers, doctors and first responders would have given this film a more well rounded and accurate depiction of all sides of the outbreak. 

The methods utilized in this paper are not necessarily new or inventive, yet this doesn't detract from its effectiveness. The data used for this study was collected from surveys of 1,569 people and the data was then analyzed using statistical methods of logistic regression.

There was very detailed recounting of investigations of three historical cases. The similarities between those cases and the World Trade Center investigations were then compared. Methods used include data collection, analysis and comparison. The author utilizes expert testimony and cites documents and the media often as well.

The author, Didier Fassin is an anthropologist and sociologist who works overseas in Sengal, Ecuador, South Africa, and France. He is a physician and has a background in public health and global health as well. He is a professor of social science at the Institute for advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He has focused on the AIDS epidemic as well as humanitarian efforts.  

https://www.ias.edu/scholars/fassin

https://www.sss.ias.edu/faculty/fassin

On the website, it mentions that the program was started and located in Tulane due to actions that occurred post- Katrina in New Orleans. The program began due to "failures in disaster leadership" after Katrina. Tulane University was chosen due to the fact that it has exemplified such resiliency and leadership after Hurricane Katrina and portrays and provides an excellent setting for a program such as this.