Authors: Jessica Tucker and Elizabeth Jarrett, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Disasters don’t repeat themselves, but they do have a rhythm. Every hurricane, flood, nuclear accident, or terrorist attack unfolds differently. But there are common challenges to many disasters and there is a brief moment when we can most effectively learn about them and evaluate what worked – and what didn’t – during response and recovery. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, that moment is now and ASPR is working with its partners to find the best ways to learn from Hurricane Sandy, inform recovery efforts for communities affected by Hurricane Sandy moving forward, and ultimately improve disaster response and recovery.
In November 2012, the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response asked the Institute of Medicine and the New York Academy of Medicine to convene subject matter experts to identify priorities for immediate research. Using the outcomes from this meeting, ASPR conducted additional assessments and is now requesting proposals for research to inform long-term recovery from Sandy under the ASPR Grants to Support Scientific Research Related to Recovery from Hurricane Sandy.
These research grants will focus on priority areas related to community resilience and recovery; risk communication and the use of social media; health system response and health care access; evacuation and policy decision making; and mental health.
By issuing grants to external investigators during recovery from Sandy and taking this opportunity to study multiple aspects of the health impacts of the disaster, we will be better equipped to make effective decisions based on scientific evidence that will impact long-term recovery for the affected communities moving forward.
The research projects under this grant may take many different forms. For example, an evaluation of mental health outcomes of affected residents and communities could help decision-makers to identify more effective mental health interventions throughout long-term recovery. Or we could use the information gathered under these grant programs to better understand how social connectedness in communities predicts resilience and positive recovery outcomes. Once equipped with that knowledge, we can better identify the right interventions or programs that can serve to enhance those social linkages.
To date, this effort has provided a useful model for conducting scientific research that can inform response and recovery to public health emergencies: engage local research communities to define priorities for immediate research, provide funding opportunities accordingly, and fund work that benefits affected communities. We plan to build on this model and use the information that we gather to inform policies and programs for Sandy-affected communities during the recovery period.
By taking steps now to improve our understanding of the common elements of disasters and the ways that people behave in a response, we will be able to better protect public health and help save lives when the next disaster strikes.
