Mitigating the health effects of disasters for medically underserved populations: electronic health records, telemedicine, research, screening, and surveillance

The Regional Coordinating Center for Hurricane Response (RCC) collaborated with the EXPORT Centers (Centers of Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach, Research on Health Disparities and Training) to rebuild, revitalize, and improve the health care infrastructure in the Gulf Coast states damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This initiative aims to enhance the provision of health care by installing Electronic Health Records and Telepsychiatry systems throughout the Gulf Coast. Through the EXPORT Centers, the RCC plans to perform screening and surveillance projects within the communities and develop research projects focused on eliminating health disparities affecting underserved populations in the region. Another goal is to establish partnerships with EXPORT Centers, Community Health Centers, and other essential primary care practices in hurricane-ravaged communities. Through these partnerships, the overarching goal is to create a balanced health care system model that academic institutions can integrate into preventive care for emergency planning and research.