Emergency Preparedness
Overview | About Us | Staff | Partnerships | Online Resources | Contact Us
Overview
Our goal is to serve as a resource for public health training and workforce development by preparing the public health workforce to deal with emergencies and special threats posed by all-hazard/ emergency situations.
About Us
Public Health Preparedness Program Evaluation:
- “Can It Happen in Kansas”: Response to Terrorism and Emerging Infections.
- NIMS/ICS – Training for Public Health Professionals
- 2005 All-Hazards Behavioral Health Symposium
- Responding to Terrorist Incidents and Major Disasters: A Large-Scale Disaster Simulation Drill/Community Integrated Disaster Response Event (CIDRE) 2005.
- Pandemic Influenza Committee – Training for Public Health Professionals (In collaboration with Sedgwick County MMRS)
- Responding to Terrorist Incidents and Major Disasters: Simulated Disaster Training Drill. 2006
- Responding to Emerging Infections: Community Preparedness for the Next Pandemic in Kansas
- Operation RAPID: Regional Mass Prophylaxis POD Drill in Nassau County, New York.
- Extreme Events: What Leaders Need to Know.
- Emergency Preparedness for Vets: Preventing Zoonotic Transmission
- Crisis Leadership for City and County Officials: How to
Lead During an Emergency
Mental Health Preparedness Training
In order to meet the mental health preparedness training needs of health professionals, the WALD Center oversees a series of broad-based, audience-specific mental health preparedness trainings for public health workers across Kansas. These on-site trainings address specific topics within the scope of the psychological consequences of disaster and terrorist events, addressing a present lack of knowledge of mental health topics within the public health workforce. To date, trainings have been provided for national- and state-level conferences, state bioterrorism regions, the state health department, and local health departments. Trainings can be customized and are all provided by licensed mental health professionals.
Staff
| Name | Department | Title |
| Elizabeth Ablah, PhD, MPH | KUMC - Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Assistant Professor |
| Suzanne R. Hawley, PhD, MPH, LP | KUMC-Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Assistant Professor |
| Ruth Wetta - Hall, RN, PhD, MPH, MSN | KUMC - Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Assistant Professor |
| Kurt M. Konda, MA | KUMC - Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Sr. Research Associate |
| Crystal Kelley | KUMC -Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Research Assistant |
| Kelly Konda | KUMC -Preventive Medicine and Public Health | Research Assistant |
Partnerships
New York Consortium for Emergency Preparedness Continuing Education (NYCEPCE)
The WALD Center has worked in combination with the University of Albany School of Public Health, Adelphi University, and the Columbia University School of Nursing to form NYCEPCE. The WALD Center provides evaluation services for the consortium’s member institutions by providing pilot testing, (with focus groups representing the target audience), pre- and post-tests, and overall course evaluations as a process of continuous quality improvement in training. Emphasis is placed on competency-based training within the ecological model, using epidemiologic evaluation procedures and measures.
Selected Online Resources
(You will be leaving the WALD Web site on the following links)
The University of Kansas Continuing Education
The Kansas Bioterrorism Program
University at Albany, Center for Public Health Preparedness
Emergency
Preparedness and Response CDC's primary bioterrorism Web site
Terrorism Preparedness Compendium MMWR's page to articles on these topics
Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections at St. Louis University
Biodefense and Bioterrorism at MEDLINEplus
Research and Tools on Bioterrorism Planning and Response from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Resource Guide for Public Health Preparedness from the New York Academy of Medicine
Responding First to Bioterrorism expert-selected resources for
bioterrorism and public safety "first responders." 
Compiled
by the National Academy of Sciences.
USDA's Rural Information Center
Contact Us
For more information contact: eablah@kumc.edu and/or call 316-293-2627.
