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180.670.01
Introduction to Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Location
East Baltimore
Term
4th Term
Department
Environmental Health and Engineering
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2023 - 2024
Instruction Method
In-person
Class Time(s)
Tu, Th, 9:00 - 10:20am
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
Yes
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Dan Barnett
Contact Email
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite
Description
Introduces public health emergency preparedness procedures, including natural and technological disasters; terrorism; emerging threats; and methods to address these from planning and response perspectives. Content includes domestic and international public health emergency contexts, and integrates knowledge and skills learned from other courses within the Health in Crisis: Human Rights, Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Assistance MPH Concentration. Practical work focuses on small group participation in in-class scenarios and exercises. As a final project, each student individually prepares a press statement regarding a potential public health emergency threat scenario.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify and describe the main public health activities in preparing for andresponding to public health emergencies
  2. Identify natural and technological hazards
  3. Identify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive terrorist weapons
  4. Describe the consequences of recent disasters
  5. Describe the roles of public health agencies in emergencies, and interactions with public safety and other agencies
  6. Monitor baseline and disaster-related public health status to identify community health problems to enhance planning capabilities
  7. Define the structure and organization of disaster response efforts, including incident command systems and the responsibilities of governmental and nongovernmental entities
  8. Conduct post-emergency/catastrophe assessments for the purpose of informing future public health preparedness systems
Jointly Offered With