Citation

Babcock C, Theodosis C, Bills CB, Kim J, Kinet M, Turner M, Millis M, Olopade O, Olopade C. Acad. Med. 2012; 87(11): 1609-1615.

Affiliation

Dr. Babcock is assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine, and program director, Emergency Medicine Residency Program, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Theodosis is associate research scientist, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York. Dr. Bills is a second-year emergency medicine resident, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Kim is a second-year medical student, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; she previously worked at the Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Kinet recently completed an MPH/MBA at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, and previously worked at the Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Turner is program coordinator, Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Millis is professor of surgery, director, Transplant Center, and chief, Section of Transplantation, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. He is also a member of the Global Health Initiative's Executive Steering Committee and was a member of the Haiti Relief Task Force Team. Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade is Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, associate dean, Global Health, and director, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Christopher Olopade is professor of medicine, Section of Pulmonary/Critical Care, and clinical director, Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Association of American Medical Colleges, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/ACM.0b013e31826db6a2

PMID

23018336

Abstract

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The event disrupted infrastructure and was marked by extreme morbidity and mortality. The global response to the disaster was rapid and immense, comprising multiple actors-including academic health centers (AHCs)-that provided assistance in the field and from home. The authors retrospectively examine the multidisciplinary approach that the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) applied to postearthquake Haiti, which included the application of institutional structure and strategy, systematic deployment of teams tailored to evolving needs, and the actual response and recovery. The university mobilized significant human and material resources for deployment within 48 hours and sustained the effort for over four months. In partnership with international and local nongovernmental organizations as well as other AHCs, the UCM operated one of the largest and more efficient acute field hospitals in the country. The UCM's efforts in postearthquake Haiti provide insight into the role AHCs can play, including their strengths and limitations, in complex disasters. AHCs can provide necessary intellectual and material resources as well as technical expertise, but the cost and speed required for responding to an emergency, and ongoing domestic responsibilities, may limit the response of a large university and hospital system. The authors describe the strong institutional backing, the detailed predeployment planning and logistical support UCM provided, the engagement of faculty and staff who had previous experience in complex humanitarian emergencies, and the help of volunteers fluent in the local language which, together, made UCM's mission in postearthquake Haiti successful.

Language: en