Recent natural disasters highlight the complexities associated with planning, coordination and distribution of supplies in a manner which provides timely and effective response. In this paper, the authors present a model to quantify the benefits associated with pre-positioning local supplies. They assume the supplies are in a high-risk location and may be destroyed if an appropriate strategy to...

BACKGROUND:: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natural, this research identifies predictors of individual emergency preparedness and compliance with government requests. METHODS:: A survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults (1629 respondents) revealed which emergency supplies and plans they had in place; their perceived level of prepa...

with medical and relief supplies, Red Cross volunteers, and a search-and-rescue team including emergency physicians to help Americans on the Gulf Coast who were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane struck Aug. 29, levelling huge swaths of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and forcing the evacuation of New Orleans. US officials declared a national public health emergency and Presiden...

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the association between race/ethnicity (including language subgroups among Hispanics) and disaster preparedness among Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey respondents. Methods BRFSS data were obtained for eight states which implemented the optional general preparedness module from 2006 through 2010. Three dependent variab...

Distribution center links the relief suppliers and affected people, making it an indispensable part in the transportation network of earthquake relief supplies. Therefore, the location of distribution center for earthquake relief supplies has significant influence on transportation cost, operation efficiency and logistics performance, which are important in reducing loss of lives and property. ...

BACKGROUND Timely stocking of essential supplies in an emergency department (ED) is crucial to efficient and effective patient care. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to decrease wasted nursing time in obtaining needed supplies in an ED through the use of Lean process controls. METHODS As part of a Lean project, the team conducted a "before and after" prospective observation study o...

A number of small studies have demonstrated increased use of emergency contraception (EC) when women have a supply available at home. It has been suggested that widespread use of EC could reduce abortion rates. We undertook a community intervention study designed to determine whether offering advanced supplies of EC to large numbers of women influenced abortion rates. All women aged between 16 ...

The Y2K threat provides an excellent case study of organizational perception of and adjustment to risks. Utilizing qualitative data collected from focus group interviews with thirteen health care organizations, this paper examines hospital risk perception and preparedness for the Y2K computer problem. The potential for a date-specific failure of technological systems required hospitals to ident...

Medical providers at sporting events must be well-trained in the care of cardiac emergencies. Optimal outcomes are most likely achieved through comprehensive emergency planning that ensures prompt and appropriate care. The diversity of athletic venues, as well as the age and competition level of different athlete populations, present challenges to the provision of appropriate emergency care in ...

This paper proposes an advanced distribution automation planning problem in which emergency-based demand response plans are incorporated during service restoration process. The fitness function of this planning problem consists of various costs associated with fault occurrence in electric distribution systems consisting of the total yearly cost of customers’ interruptions, the total annualized ...