BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As we enter peak hurricane season and Hurricane Florence gets stronger, UAB experts across medical, business and administrative roles who can speak to emergency preparedness are available. These experts can comment on the preparation, response and recovery related to emergencies that may impact schools, hospitals, businesses, communities, and more:
- JVann Martin is UAB’s AVP for Emergency Management and Facilities, and co-chairs our Emergency Management Committee.
- Bill Mayfield, R.N., is the UAB Health System’s manager for Emergency Preparedness and can speak on how to logistically prepare before, during, and after a severe weather event.
- Janyce Samford, M.D., heads UAB's level one trauma center and is available to discuss emergency medicine and pre-hospital emergency care.
- Jeff Kerby, M.D., is available to speak on acute care surgery, trauma, critical care and bleeding control techniques/large volume blood replacement as it relates to significant events.
- Patrick Murphy, Ph.D., can discuss the impact that severe weather has on the economy and businesses in the path of any natural disaster.
- Sarah Nafziger, M.D., is UAB’s Medical Center director for Patient Flow and also co-chairs our Emergency Management Committee. She also serves as Assistant State EMS Medical Director for the Alabama Department of Public Health.
- Kelly Flood, M.D., is a geriatrician who can provide tips on how to protect the elderly during natural disasters. She is able to talk about how to safely evacuate the elderly, how hospitals protect the elderly in the event of power outages, flooding, etc., and what to look for in assisted living, nursing homes or retirement communities to make sure they have a natural disaster plan.
- Katrina Booth, M.D., is a geriatrician who specializes in individualized elderly care. She is able to talk about how to keep the elderly safe when they are removed from their homes, especially for extended periods of time during a natural disaster, the health risks they face during power outages and water shortages, and how to care for them while they are in a new and unfamiliar environment during an evacuation (especially pertaining to people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease who may become upset when they are removed from a familiar setting).
- Michelle Fanucchi, Ph.D., is a public health expert who can discuss the health impact that major storms pose to water quality and water treatment systems. She is well-versed in the health risks of flooded homes and buildings and how to safely clean and repair structures with water damage to avoid mold and other related issues. She is also able to talk about the risk of food-borne illnesses from food that comes from polluted water or food that may have spoiled after losing power.
- Lisa McCormick, Ph.D., is an expert in mass emergency response planning. She can discuss the important of emergency response plans when it comes to evacuating cities, counties and states. She is also able to talk about how to safely bring millions of people back to their homes after a hurricane and what people need to know when returning to their impacted communities.
RSS