Background:
Hurricane Katrina seriously damaged the infrastructure of the Louisiana Office of Public Health's STD Program, diminishing its ability to conduct surveillance and to deliver prevention and care services. Staff and other residents were dispersed; laboratories, public health units and other health care facilities were closed; and communication was difficult. In the weeks after Katrina, the program began to rebuild its infrastructure. Because damaged areas were not immediately repopulated, the program was dealt the additional challenge of redirecting resources throughout the state.

Objective:
Participants will be able to identify steps taken to assess and rebuild STD programming following a disruptive event. This information will guide them as they begin or continue to develop their own emergency preparedness plans.


Method:
The presenters will discuss the “lay of the land” in Louisiana following Katrina through photographs, personal and professional experiences. The presenters will walk through a timeline of the assessment and rebuilding process, with an emphasis on overcoming unexpected obstacles.

Result:
Presenters will provide before, interim and present-day overviews of the state of the program, as well as discuss improvements made as a result of the opportunities for change created by Katrina.

Conclusion:
Disruptive events, including natural disasters or acts of terrorism, can happen anywhere. Public health officials must respond effectively and immediately to these events in order to reestablish programming while at the same time coping with the significant personal needs of their staff members and themselves.

Implications:
While the odds of a major disruptive event are small, STD Programs should consider planning for such events. The experiences of the Louisiana STD Program can be of benefit to others as they will understand the obstacles that must be overcome in order to resume STD programming and the opportunities for improvement that arose from such a disruption.