Medical Disaster Management Course Syllabus

COURSE TITLE: Medical Disaster Management

COURSE OVERVIEW: The course is a part of the Bachelor of Science Health Sciences degree program, Allied Health concentration.

INSTRUCTOR: Daniel Hahn, MA, CEM, FPEM & PHD in progress

CONTACT INFORMATION: [email protected] or 850.393-9841

PREREQUISITES OR CO-REQUISITES: Those interested in this course or the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program should contact Mr. Steve Celestial at 850-474- 2885 or [email protected].

COURSE DESCRIPTION:This course introduces students to various facets of natural and technological disasters, while integrating public health research designs and practices. Class lectures and discussions utilize recent and historical case studies as a basis for developing the critical thinking and leadership skills needed by healthcare professionals in crisis situations. International, domestic, and regional settings are addressed, as well as the social, economic, and political aspects of disaster planning, preparedness, and mitigation. Students gain an understanding of basic public health concepts and methodologies, as they relate to course material.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (Objectives):The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree involving six independent academic units at UWF. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) that is applied in this program will depend on the track chosen by the student and will be determined by the unit under which the student is enrolled (Psychology, Health Care Ethics, Computer Science, Social Work, the College of Business, or Communication Arts).The course meets the following core goals for the B.S. in Health Sciences degree program:  Content and Critical Thinking o Students will recognize basic principles of public health as they relate to disaster management. o Students will be able to apply critical thinking and decision making skills for given disaster scenarios. o Students will identify and use appropriate concepts, theories, and principles towards the development of disaster preparedness and mitigation plans.  Communication o Students will be able to use written language professionally and effectively. o Students will be able to communicate in a knowledgeable and well-versed manner with others in their field, regarding disaster management. o Students will be able to discuss issues of disaster management in a clear, concise, and easily understandable manner with the general public, mass media outlets, and government officials. o ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FORMATTED USING APA FORMAT. Grammar, spelling and punctuation do count towards your grade. You have 3 weeks to finish each assignment except the term paper which has a longer time frame. Fulfillment of these goals will be assessed through course exercises based on pertinent lecture and reading materials and written assignments. TOPICS COVERED: Overview The primary purpose of this course is to prepare students for effective participation in disaster planning at the local level. Health care workers, public health providers in particular, play a variety of roles in crisis situations. Lectures and readings serve to expose students to the dynamics of disaster management, as a basis for positive and influential future leadership. Tentative Course Schedule  An Introduction to Disaster Management  Public Health Review  Natural and Technological Disasters  Interdisciplinary Disaster Planning  Community Level Preparedness  Disaster Mitigation and Post-Event Response  Risk Communications  Environmental Health Degradation  Mental Health Challenges of a Disaster  Monitoring and Evaluation of Recovery Efforts A more detailed class schedule, including reading and other assignments, will be made available the first week of class. REQUIRED TEXTS:All required readings will be available online. RECOMMENDED TEXTS (not required but good resources): Brinkley, Douglas. The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Harper Collins Publishing, 2006. Chabner, D. Medical Terminology: A Short Course. 3rd Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 2002. Heymann, D.L.., editor. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 18th Edition. Washington, D.C.: American Public Health Association, 2004.Landesman, LY.Public Health Management of Disasters: The Practice Guide. 2nd Edition. Washington, D.C.: American Public Health Association, 2005.Landesman, LY. Public Health Management of Disasters: The Pocket Guide. Washington, D.C: American Public Health Association, 2006. SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY UTILIZED BY STUDENTS: (beyond baseline requirements of e-mail and word processing)  Basic understanding of Microsoft Powerpoint  Students must be able to conduct Internet research REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHYN/AGRADING/EVALUATION: Participation (Discussions) 200 pts. Written Assignments 500 pts. Term Paper 300 pts. Written Assignment: Each student will be required to write five bi-weekly papers discussing subjects covered in class. Additionally a final term paper on a public health subject will complete the writing assignments. Each paper will be written utilizing APA format. I expect each assignment to be completed within three weeks of the module opening. Exceptions will be given for those who contact me with a reasonable request prior to the deadline. Examinations: A final term paper combined with five separate writing assignments will constitute a majority of the grade. The following grading scale will be used to determine final grades: A 93 A- 90 B+ 87 B 83 B- 80 C+ 77 C 73 C- 70 D+ 67 D 63 F 0 EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT/PLAGIARISM POLICY:  Academic Conduct Policy  Plagiarism Policy  Student Handbook It is the philosophy of the University of West Florida that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student, or the attempt to commit such acts. In addition, any behavior that interferes with the conduct of a class is classified as disruptive behavior and will not be tolerated. Plagiarism detecting websites will be used as often as possible to detect plagiarism. ASSISTANCE: Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other course-related accommodations should contact Disabled Student Services (DSS), [email protected], 850-474-2387. DSS will provide the student with a letter for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations. QUALITY ASSURANCE This course is reviewed during the semester and in an ongoing basis for quality by assessment personnel within the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences (SAHLS) to meet national standards established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Council on Education for Public Health, and/or to address quality enhancement initiatives of SAHLS. Student feedback is also vital to this process. When reviewing our programs, our accrediting partners expect to see 100% participation in the State-of-Florida mandated SUSSAI (State University System Student Assessment of Instruction) evaluations. Thus, at the end of the semester, we need to hear from the folks that enjoyed the class and from the folks that have suggestions for improvement (ok, and from the folks that want to fill out the survey as quickly as possible with no comments to share!). BUT, we do need to hear from each and every student in this class, and we value your input. When SUSSAI evaluations are ready for you to complete, you will see a News posting in the course. If you need assistance with the evaluations, please contact Connie Works at (850) 474-3080 or [email protected]. Please be assured that all evaluations that are completed online are of a confidential matter. Your name, student number, and e-mail address will not be revealed to your instructor, department, or college. Only one evaluation per course per student can be submitted. Please do not delay completing the evaluation when the time approaches. Due to the significance of this information, I will not be able to pre-release grades in eLearning if we are not close to the 100% participation goal before finals week. Thank you!