RAND Gulf States Publications on Health and Health Care

2018

• Improving Disaster Resilience Among Older Adults: Insights from Public Health Departments and Aging-in-Place Efforts January 23, 2018

  Regina A. Shih, Joie D. Acosta, Emily K. Chen, Eric G. Carbone, Lea Xenakis, David M. Adamson, Anita Chandra

  This report uses interview data collected from public health departments and aging-in-place efforts — specifically, from coordinators of age-friendly communities and village executive directors — to explore how current aging-in-place efforts can be harnessed to strengthen the disaster resilience of older adults and which existing programs or new collaborations among public health departments and these organizations show promise.

2017

• RAND Gulf States Policy Institute: Committed to Strengthening the Well-Being of the U.S. Gulf States Through Research and Analysis November 1, 2017

  This 16-page flyer describes the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute and summarizes some of the research it has tackled since its founding in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

2016

• Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: Seven Case Studies from Local and State Health Departments July 8, 2016

  Malcolm V. Williams, Laurie T. Martin, Courtney Armstrong, Nazleen Bharmal, Julia Joh Elligers, Laura Runnels, Kate Heyer, Christian Lopez

  This report summarizes seven case studies to highlight innovative models and best practices from seven case studies that leverage local health department (LHD) efforts in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment to facilitate knowledge transfer to other geographic regions. Also, they provide guidance and insight into the current and future role of LHDs, as states continue to enroll residents in health insurance coverage.

• Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on New Orleans, Louisiana July 8, 2016

  Malcolm V. Williams, Christian Lopez, Laurie T. Martin, Courtney Armstrong

  Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for leveraging local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report describes a case study on New Orleans, Louisiana, that captures nuanced differences in how health departments support these efforts, identifies facilitators and barriers to these approaches, and develop lessons learned from these activities.

• Latino Immigrant Day Laborer Perceptions of Occupational Safety and Health Information Preferences March 2, 2016

  Claudia Diaz, Leonardo Leonardo Martinez Pantoja, Meshawn Tarver, Sandy A. Geschwind, Marielena Lara

  We address immigrant day laborers' experiences with occupational safety in the construction industry in New Orleans, and opinions about content and method of communication for educational interventions to reduce occupational risks.

2011

• Household Structure and Social Vulnerability: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina June 7, 2011

  Michael S. Rendall

  The greater-than-national prevalence of extended-family households in New Orleans increased the incidence of household breakup after Hurricane Katrina. Policymakers should consider pre-disaster household structure in recovery planning.

• The Nongovernmental Sector in Disaster Resilience: Conference Recommendations for a Policy Agenda March 14, 2011

  Joie D. Acosta, Anita Chandra, Sally Sleeper, Benjamin Springgate

  This report summarizes sessions that RAND researchers convened during the 2010 Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations conference to generate a national policy agenda addressing challenges to effectively engaging nongovernmental organizations in disaster response and recovery and to identify potential policy and program recommendations to address these challenges.

• Building Community Resilience to Disasters: A Way Forward to Enhance National Health Security February 22, 2011

  Anita Chandra, Joie D. Acosta, Stefanie Howard, Lori Uscher-Pines, Malcolm V. Williams, Douglas Yeung, Jeffrey Garnett, Lisa S. Meredith

  Community resilience, or the sustained ability of a community to withstand and recover from adversity, has become a key policy issue. This report provides a roadmap for federal, state, and local leaders who are developing plans to enhance community resilience for health security threats and describes options for building community resilience in key areas.

2010

• Navigating the Road to Recovery: Assessment of the Coordination, Communication, and Financing of the Disaster Case Management Pilot in Louisiana June 11, 2010

  Joie D. Acosta, Anita Chandra, Kevin Carter Feeney

  The Louisiana Disaster Case Management Pilot was funded to help people still affected by the 2005 hurricanes access needed services and more permanent housing. This report describes the challenges that hindered implementation. In light of these challenges, researchers recommend that future efforts establish better ways to identify and locate affected residents, consider needs and vulnerabilities in planning, and ensure continuity of services.

• Post-Katrina Project Demonstrates a Rapid, Participatory Assessment of Health Care and Develops a Partnership for Post-Disaster Recovery in New Orleans March 10, 2010

  Benjamin Springgate, Charles Allen, Catherine Jones, Shaula Lovera, Diana Meyers, Larry Campbell, Lawrence Palinkas, Kenneth B. Wells

  Stakeholders in communities in which health care access was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina were engaged in an assessment of health priorities, as well as in data interpretation and plan design, to produce a sustainable community-academic partnership.

• How Fare the Displaced and Returned Residents of New Orleans? Results of an Innovative Pilot Survey January 15, 2010

  Narayan Sastry, Elizabeth Fussell, Mark Vanlandingham

  The Displaced New Orleans Residents Pilot Study shows that it is possible to study this hard-to-survey population to determine rates of return and mental illness among residents who experienced Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

2009

• The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Long-Term Human Recovery After Disaster: Reflections From Louisiana Four Years After Hurricane Katrina September 18, 2009

  Anita Chandra, Joie D. Acosta

  Human recovery is the process of rebuilding social and daily routines and support networks that foster physical and mental health and well-being. RAND researchers conducted a facilitated discussion with Louisiana NGO leaders to capture lessons learned and challenges faced by these organizations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The subsequent lessons also serve to inform potential policy changes and future research directions.

• Promoting Mental Health Recovery After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: What Can Be Done at What Cost January 1, 2009

  Michael Schoenbaum, Brittany Butler, Sheryl H. Kataoka, Grayson Norquist, Benjamin Springgate, Greer Sullivan, Naihua Duan, Ronald C. Kessler, Kenneth B. Wells

  Concerns about mental health recovery persist after the 2005 Gulf storms. The authors propose a recovery model and estimate costs and outcomes.

2007

• Lessons Learned from the State and Local Public Health Response to Hurricane Katrina September 16, 2007

  Jeanne S. Ringel, Anita Chandra, Kristin J. Leuschner, Yee-Wei Lim, Nicole Lurie, Karen A. Ricci, Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Molly Shea, Lisa R. Shugarman, Jeffrey Wasserman

  Collects and synthesizes the public health lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina so that public health agencies can learn from the experience and improve their preparedness.

2006

• How Schools Can Help Children Recover from Traumatic Experiences December 4, 2006

  Lisa H. Jaycox, Lindsey K. Morse, Terri Tanielian, Bradley D. Stein

  This fact sheet summarizes a program guide, or tool kit, that describes a variety of school-based mental health programs for students exposed to trauma, such as Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, and community or personal violence.

• How Schools Can Help Students Recover from Traumatic Experiences: A Tool Kit for Supporting Long-Term Recovery October 23, 2006

  Lisa H. Jaycox, Lindsey K. Morse, Terri Tanielian, Bradley D. Stein

  This tool kit describes how trauma exposure impacts students’ performance and behavior and provides a compendium of programs for schools to support the long-term recovery of traumatized students. It also compares the programs with one another.

• The Repopulation of New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina March 10, 2006

  Kevin F. McCarthy, D. J. Peterson, Narayan Sastry, Michael S. Pollard

  In November 2005, New Orleans city leaders asked RAND to estimate the repopulation of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Bring New Orleans Back Commission needed estimates of the city’s population in the immediate and near-term future to guide the redevelopment planning process. An assessment of flood damage to housing based on the depth of floodwater and the likely pace of reconstruction of damaged housing guided the estimates.

2005

• Planning the Safety of Healthcare Structures November 12, 2005

  Charles Meade

  Key Findings: - Mitigating the destructive impact of hurricane force winds will require developing and implementing new building codes. - Mitigating the impact of floods will require site-specific investments in infrastructure and planning. - California provides the best example of “lessons learned” from an aggressive policy to protect hospitals from the effects of natural disasters.