• Center Home
  • About the Center
  • Staff
  • Contact Us
• Center Research
  • Current Projects
• Publications
  • Research Briefs
  • Selected Documents
  • Browse Publications
  • Search Publications
  • Congressional Newsletters

RAND Health Security Newsletter

This newsletter is a bimonthly update that features recent research from RAND Health and the Center for Domestic and International Health Security.

Contents of April 2006 RAND Health Security newsletter:

1. Protecting emergency responders at large building collapses
   
2. Nation-building efforts hampered by failures to address health problems
   
3. Preparing health providers to treat trauma in conflict-affected countries
   
4. New congressional testimony on public health preparedness in the 21st century
   
5. Forum on catastrophe preparedness
   

1. Protecting emergency responders at large building collapses

   In an effort to reduce the extent of injuries like those suffered by emergency responders at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, RAND has proposed guidelines to better protect responders from the chemical, biological and physical hazards that exist following the collapse of large buildings.

   News release Full document More on public health research

Citation: Willis HH, Castle NG, Sloss EM, Bartis JT. Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 4: Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines for Structural Collapse Events, RAND Corporation, MG-425-NIOSH, 2006.




2. Nation-building efforts hampered by failures to address health problems

   The United States missed opportunities to help win the support of the public in Iraq and Afghanistan by failing to make health a bigger focus of reconstruction efforts after U.S.-led invasions of the nations.

   News release Full document More on global health research

Citation: Jones SG, Hilborne LH, Anthony CR, Davis LM, Girosi F, Benard C, Swanger RM, Garten AD, Timilsina A. Securing Health: Lessons from Nation-Building Missions, RAND Corporation, MG-321-RC, 2006.




3. Preparing health providers to treat trauma in conflict-affected countries

   Extensive training in mental health services can better prepare primary healthcare providers to treat people traumatized by widespread violence in developing nations.

   News release Read abstract More on global health research

Citation: Eisenman D, Weine S, Green B, de Jong J, Rayburn N, Ventevogel P, Keller A, Agani F. The ISTSS/Rand Guidelines on Mental Health Training of Primary Healthcare Providers for Trauma-Exposed Populations in Conflict-Affected Countries, Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 19, No. 1, March 27 2006, pp. 5-17.




4. New congressional testimony on public health preparedness in the 21st century

   New congressional testimony describes RAND Health research on public health preparedness from recent years, including evaluations of preparedness in the states of California and Georgia and exercises on a range of public health issues. Progress has been made, but significant challenges remain, particularly with regards to the threat of pandemic influenza.

   Read testimony More on health security research

Citation: Lurie N. Public Health Preparedness in the 21st Century, RAND Corporation, CT-257, 2006.




5. Forum on catastrophe preparedness

   Leaders in homeland security, emergency response, and occupational safety and health convened in San Francisco on April 7, 2006 to discuss individual, worker and employer preparedness for catastrophic risks. The forum was sponsored by RAND, UC-Berkeley, and the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC).

   Read more about the event More on health security research

Housekeeping

Please visit RAND's Center for Domestic and International Health Security homepage to stay informed about current research updates.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, please visit http://www.rand.org/health/centers/healthsecurity/mailinglist.html or send email to Dana_Torres@rand.org.

Mary Vaiana, Communications Director of RAND Health, can be reached at Mary_Vaiana@rand.org.