Name of Session:
Session D 10
ATSDR's Brownfield and Land Reuse Steering Committee Activities
Description of Session
Effective methods of communication are vital to preparing the public for emergency events. Hurricane Katrina was an unfortunate example of the devastating consequences that can occur from inadequate communication prior to, during, and following emergency events. The presence of health disparities exacerbates these consequences for vulnerable populations such as low-income minorities. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Morgan State University School of Public Health and Policy implemented the Special Populations Bioterrorism Initiative to address the need for more research within this realm of public health and assess the experiences and needs of low income minorities affected by natural disasters in Maryland.
This panel will discuss a continuum of behavior, knowledge, and attitudes of low income minority populations both pre-Katrina and post-Katrina, provide a framework for developing and disseminating emergency preparedness messages and materials, and assess the appropriateness of emergency preparedness materials currently available for reaching low income African-Americans and Latinos.
| Presenter(s) | |
|---|---|
| Moderator: Xanthia James, MPH | xjames@michaeldbaker.com |
Presenter 1: Randy Rowel, PhD Title of Presentation: Pre-Katrina: Emergency Preparedness Among Low Income Minority Populations |
rrowel@jewel.morgan.edu |
Presenter 2: Anita Hawkins, PhD Title of Presentation: Health Communication and Emergency Preparedness in Low Income Minority Populuations |
|
Presenter 3: Xanthia James, MPH Title of Presentation: An Assessment of the Cultural Appropriateness of Emergency Preparedness Risk Communication Materials for Low Income Minority Residents in Maryland |
xjames@michaeldbaker.com |
Presenter 4: Myrtle Evans, MSPH, DrPH(c) Title of Presentation: Post Katrina: Emergency Preparedness Among Low Income Minorities |
ahawkin2@jewel.morgan.edu |


