The Gulf Coast is at risk for hurricanes and flooding, and BCM faculty are in the unique position to develop educational modalities and implementation science to improve the care of children in the setting of natural and man-made disasters. Our disaster medicine lead is Dr. Brent Kaziny, who developed his passion for disaster preparedness while a Tulane resident during Hurricane Katrina. He is a subject matter expert for FEMA’s Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness Course, the co-director of the disaster domain for the Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovations and Improvement Center (EIIC), and the Medical Director of Emergency Management for Texas Children’s Hospital.
Texas Children’s Hospital is a Pediatric Disaster Center of Excellence. The Gulf 7 Pediatric Disaster Network (G7), led by Dr. Kaziny, covers 6 U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and Puerto Rico. It is funded through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The G7’s goal is to improve regional capacity to care for children during and after large-scale crises. The G7 is a core partner in the Pediatric Pandemic Network. The PPN was established through HRSA during the COVID-19 pandemic to address gaps in pediatric care and to allow for system-wide coordination through children’s hospitals serving as regional hubs.
Faculty with a research focus on disaster medicine:
- Nichole Davis, MD, MEd: pandemic preparedness, disaster response
- Email: nxgubbin@texaschildrens.org
- Brent Kaziny, MD, MA: pediatric-specific disaster response
- Email: kaziny@bcm.edu
- Twitter: @disasterpeds
Li J, Kaziny BD, Perron C, Downey D, Monuteaux MC, Chung S. The first 15 minutes: a novel disaster simulation exercise. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2022; PMID 35332862.
Bechtold HD, Cruz AT, Kaziny BD. From World War II to COVID-19: a historical perspective on the American medical supply chain. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2021. PMID 33762064.
Tanner TE, Davis NR, Kaziny BD, Endom EE, Sampayo EM. Challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic: pediatric emergency medicine and disaster management perspectives. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2022; PMID 35678417.
Fanny SA, Kaziny BD, Cruz AT, Camp EA, Murray KO, Nichols TJ, Chumpitazi CE. Pediatric emergency departments and urgent care visits in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. West J Emerg Med. 2021. PMID 34125058.
Davis NR, Doughty CB, Kerr T, Elegores G, Davis KI, Kaziny BD. Rapidly building surge capacity within a pandemic response using simulation-based clinical systems testing. BMJ Simul Technol Enhanc Learn. 2020. PMID 35515735.
