Members of the faculty and staff of the University of Miami and Jackson Health System met during Fall 2007 to discuss disaster response following earthquakes in Peru. During these meetings the advisability of forming a Disaster Interest Group was discussed. As one step in the process, participants determined that a survey of UM/JHS staff and faculty would be useful to assess the breadth of disaster interests and work.
A draft survey was developed and edited during November 2007 and converted to Web-deliverable format during December 2007. During the first week of January 2008, Dr. Jose Szapocznik emailed a letter of introduction and the Web link for the survey to administrators throughout UM and JHS. The letter of invitation reads as follows:
- Dear…
- I am writing to you because a group of faculty members from a number of departments in Coral Gables and the School of Medicine, together with JMH leadership, have established a Disaster Interest Group. As you may know there is a great deal of disaster relevant work that is conducted throughout the University, from training medical teams before they are deployed to Iraq to training hospital personnel throughout the country on strategies for responding to disasters, to actual on the ground assistance to disaster victims in different parts of the world. The Disaster Interest Group has asked for my assistance in circulating a notice (attached) that will help identify other individuals who are also working in disasters.
- I would appreciate your circulating this email to your faculty. Thank you for your assistance.
- José Szapocznik, Ph.D.
- Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Associate Dean for Community Development
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Data Summary:
Disaster Interest Questionnaire & Results
|
University of Miami (UM)
Jackson Health System (JHS)
DISASTER INTEREST GROUP
Disaster Interest Questionnaire & Results
September 2008 (N=49)
|
University of Miami Professional by School (N=49)
|
|
|
NO.
|
%
|
|
Architecture |
2
|
4
|
|
Arts and Sciences
|
7
|
14
|
|
Business Administration
|
1
|
2
|
|
Education
|
2
|
4
|
|
Engineering
|
4
|
8
|
|
Law
|
1
|
2
|
|
Medicine
|
27
|
55
|
|
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
|
1
|
2
|
|
No Response
|
20
|
41
|
|
My professional work related to disasters includes
(Check all items that apply): (N=49)
|
| |
|
NO.
|
%
|
| |
Research
|
27
|
55
|
| |
Writing/publication for professionals
|
24
|
49
|
| |
Writing/publication for general public
|
15
|
31
|
| |
Teaching students
|
24
|
49
|
| |
Training professionals
|
23
|
47
|
| |
Educating citizens (general public or special groups)
|
20
|
41
|
| |
Direct care and/or support for disaster survivors
|
12
|
24
|
| |
Direct care and/or support for disaster responders
|
16
|
33
|
| |
Defined on-the-job disaster response role
|
14
|
29
|
| |
Deployment to disasters (local, state, national or international)
|
15
|
31
|
| |
Expert consultation
|
18
|
37
|
| |
Hospital preparedness for disasters
|
17
|
35
|
| |
EMS preparedness for disasters
|
13
|
27
|
| |
Community Service (outside your UM/JHS role)
|
10
|
20
|
| |
Other: Specify____________________________________
|
10
|
20
|
| |
Other: Specify____________________________________
|
1
|
2
|
|
On average, I dedicate the following percentage effort specifically to disaster-related work: (N=49)
|
| |
|
NO.
|
%
|
| |
<5%
|
18
|
37
|
| |
6-15%
|
9
|
18
|
| |
16-25%
|
6
|
12
|
| |
26-50%
|
5
|
10
|
| |
51-75%
|
3
|
6
|
| |
76-100%
|
8
|
16
|
|
My professional work related to disasters focuses on (Check all items that apply): (N=49)
|
| |
|
NO.
|
%
|
| |
Disaster prevention
|
15
|
32
|
| |
Disaster mitigation
|
22
|
45
|
| |
Disaster preparedness
|
38
|
78
|
| |
Disaster rescue and/or response
|
25
|
51
|
| |
Disaster recovery and/or reconstruction
|
23
|
47
|
|
My professional work related to disasters includes these topics (Check all items that apply): (N=49)
|
| |
|
NO.
|
%
|
| |
Disaster prediction, estimation, quantification, modeling
|
12
|
24
|
| |
Applications of science/engineering to disasters
|
9
|
18
|
| |
Disaster hazards, forces of harm
|
18
|
37
|
| |
Individuals and populations affected by disasters
|
27
|
55
|
| |
The physical/built environment in relation to disasters
|
13
|
27
|
| |
Social, psychological, cultural aspects of disasters
|
18
|
37
|
| |
Human behavior in relation to disasters
|
17
|
35
|
| |
Root causes of disasters
|
4
|
8
|
| |
Policy analysis
|
12
|
24
|
| |
Governmental/non-governmental organization roles
|
17
|
35
|
| |
Legal issues/applications
|
3
|
6
|
| |
Humanitarian issues
|
9
|
18
|
| |
Business applications
|
4
|
8
|
| |
Risk communication
|
9
|
18
|
| |
Community and citizen involvement
|
11
|
22
|
| |
Other: Specify____________________________________
|
7
|
14
|
| |
Other: Specify____________________________________
|
2
|
4
|
|
I would like a Disaster Interest Group to provide
(Check all items that apply): (N=49)
|
| |
|
NO.
|
%
|
| |
Compiled information on UM/JMHS disaster research, training, service
|
38
|
78
|
| |
Opportunities for professional collaboration
|
37
|
76
|
| |
Information on disaster program funding opportunities
|
30
|
61
|
| |
Information on disaster training opportunities
|
29
|
59
|
| |
Forum for sharing your work with others with similar interests
|
26
|
53
|
| |
Disaster information clearinghouse
|
26
|
53
|
| |
Disaster-related job postings
|
12
|
24
|
| |
Disaster Interest Group website and/or blog
|
26
|
53
|
| |
Information on disaster resources
|
19
|
39
|
| |
Other: Specify___________________________________________
|
1
|
2
|
| |
Other: Specify___________________________________________
|
0
|
0
|
* Photo courtesy of FEMA/Samir Valeja
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