New York Medical College’s Center for Disaster Medicine Hosts Pediatric Focused Disaster Response Training
Training designed to prepare personnel on successful ways to plan for and respond to a disaster incident involving children
Jennifer Riekert, M.B.A.
Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives
New York Medical College
(914) 594-4552
jennifer_riekert@nymc.edu
Valhalla, New York – On December 18 and 19, more than 75 Westchester community members participated in a two-day course at New York Medical College (NYMC), Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness, in order to effectively learn how to address the specific needs of pediatric patients in the event of a community incident. The latest course developed by the NYMC’s Center for Disaster Medicine taught participants to recognize and address issues specific to the pediatric population that can occur during disaster events.
Designed as a management resource course, those who attended included pediatricians, emergency managers, emergency planners and members of public emergency departments including EMS, fire, police, public health and hospitals in fields of disaster response and preparedness work. The course taught pediatric specific planning which includes mass sheltering, pediatric-triage, reunification planning and pediatric decontamination consideration.
“Preparing stakeholders to address the specific needs of various populations, like pediatric patients, in the event of emergencies, helps save lives,” said David S. Markenson, M.D., M.B.A., medical director of the Center for Disaster Medicine. “By focusing on vulnerable populations, including children, the disabled, and the elderly, the Center for Disaster Medicine fulfills a unique role in the Hudson Valley region by serving as a multi-disciplinary academic resource on a wide range of emergency preparedness issues.”
About New York Medical College
Founded in 1860, New York Medical College (NYMC) is one of the oldest and largest health sciences colleges in the country with nearly 1,500 students and 330 residents and clinical fellows, more than 2,600 faculty members and 23,500 living alumni. The College, which joined the Touro College and University System in 2011, is located in Westchester County, New York, and offers degrees from the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and Practice, the Touro College of Dental Medicine at NYMC and the Touro College School of Health Sciences’ nursing program at NYMC. NYMC provides a wide variety of clinical training opportunities for students, residents, and practitioners.
