Welcome to our class presentation, discussing the effects of natural disaster on the lifestyle and resources provided to New Orleans citizens. Please take a second to watch our presentation. I hope you all enjoy!
2. Objective
The objective of this
presentation is to evaluate the
overall impact of natural
disasters on New Orleans and
what role healthcare plays.
Agenda:
- Background knowledge
- Health Risks
- Socioeconomic Effects
- Occupation shortages
- Corrective measures to
address shortages
- Resources
3. Background
Louisiana has been ranked ‘One of the highest states prone to natural disaster’.
In 2005, New Orleans faced its biggest threat to the city, Hurricane Katrina. This
natural disaster caused damage to 800,000 homes, killing 18, 000 people in it’s
wrath. Since the presence of this tropical storm, New Orleans has been hit
several times each year, causing excessive flooding that resulted in the break of
the levees, and making it impossible for citizens to recover. As a result to such
turmoil, healthcare professionals are put to work.
Through this presentation, individuals will understand the overall impact that
natural disasters have on the health workforce.
4. Health: Lead
Contamination
The Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR) discovered lead exposure to
families receiving renovations.
- 61% of homes contains high levels of lead.
Post Hurricane Katrina, 109 homes were tested to
assess the levels of lead contamination and 61% of
those homes came back with lead levels higher
than the federal standard.
- Results proved that high levels of lead was
found in impoverished areas.
“Poorer African American populations tend to
inhabit the high Pb areas of the city; wealthier
white populations, with some exceptions, tend to
inhabit the low soil Pb areas of the city” (Mielke,
H. W., Gonzales, C. R., Powell, E. T., & Mielke, P.
W., p. 79, 2013).
5. Socioeconomic Impacts
- Large societal costs for healthcare
- Long term recovery projects.
- Government have to create new policies to rebuild the city and prepare for future
disasters.
- Federal funding required to assist in emergency and recovery situations.
(DHHS awarded New Orleans, $100 million for Primary Care Assess and
Stabilization).
- Rise in mental health conditions
6. Physician Shortage
- Louisiana is ranked 27% below average for
the active physicians per 100,000 person
capita.
Currently, 4.66 million people reside in
Louisiana. As of 2016, there were only 12,000
active physicians in the state.
More doctors will help reduce stress and
increase quality of life.
7. Correcting
Measures
The Robert Graham Center states that
“Louisiana will need an additional 392 primary
care physicians by 2030 for a 15% increase in the
workplace” (Robert Graham Center, 2018).
- Increase Healthcare
Workforce to correct the
physician- patient ratio.
- Obtain more medical doctors
due to the population’s growth
and aging of current residents.
- Provide medical education
programs for medical students
- Incentives to appeal to more
physicians such as: bonuses,
and tax cuts,
8. Limited Mental Health Resources
- 3.6% of the State’s population is living
with psychological conditions:
Depression, PTSD, and Schizophrenia.
Mental health resources are diminishing, due
to cuts in state funds.
- Limited housing for mentally ill patients
According to the United States Bureau of
Census, Louisiana is one of the states that fall
short of meeting the min. Standard of available
psychiatric beds per 100,000 people.
9. Correcting
Measures.
- The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH)
is helping to manage and deliver
services to those suffering from mental
health problems as an effort to improve
quality of life.
- Telepsychiatry: Allowing Medicaid-
insured patients to receive services
through teleservices at health facilities
that provide online conference devices.
10. ● Hughes, M. C., Gorman, J. M., Ren, Y., Khalid, S., & Clayton, C. (2019). Increasing access to rural
mental health care using hybrid care that includes telepsychiatry. Journal of Rural Mental
Health, 43(1), 30–37. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.1037/rmh0000110
● Mental Health Resources in Louisiana. (2019). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from
https://www.rtor.org/directory/mental-health-louisiana/
● Mielke, H. W., Gonzales, C. R., Powell, E. T., & Mielke, P. W. (2013). Environmental and health
disparities in residential communities of New Orleans: the need for soil lead intervention to
advance primary prevention. Environment International, 51, 73–81. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.1016/j.envint.2012.10.013
● Rabito, F. A., Iqbal, S., Perry, S., Arroyave, W., & Rice, J. C. (2012). Environmental Lead after
Hurricane Katrina: Implications for Future Populations. Environmental Health Perspectives,
120(2), 180–184. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.1289/ehp.1103774
● Robert Graham Center. (2018). Louisiana: Projecting Primary Care Physician Workforce [PDF
File]. Retrieved from https://www.graham-center.org/content/dam/rgc/documents/maps-data-
tools/state-collections/workforce-projections/Louisiana.pdf
