06 Jul Preparedness for Pandemic, Natural and Man-made Disasters
Dr. Larry Garcia, at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, has obtained institutional approval to conduct a survey to assess veterinary practice and practitioner readiness for natural and man-made disasters. The VMAE Board of Directors agreed that disaster preparedness is an important topic and that VMAE would bring this survey to your attention. Dr. Garcia shared the following introduction and survey link, which can be used in or adapted for communications to your VMA members:
Hello, my name is Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Garcia. I am a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. In my role I serve as Medical Director for the College disaster response team (Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service (VETS) Team) and have done so for the last few years.
Both man-made and natural disasters are seemingly more common as time goes on. Disaster preparedness, response and recovery capabilities, although improving, can benefit from further development. Multiple literature sources reinforce the importance of preparedness and planning as key to effective response and recovery. A small number of veterinary colleges in the U.S. provide disaster preparedness and planning training as part of their core curriculum. Although other colleges provide elective and other state or federal training opportunities, there still seem to be gaps in training for practicing veterinarians.
I am conducting a survey to gain a better understanding of veterinary practice and practitioner preparedness for pandemic, natural and man-made disasters around the nation. The information will help us identify areas where veterinary curricula and continuing education opportunities nationwide can be developed to produce disaster-prepared practitioners. There is the potential for the development of a standardized nationally +/- globally recognized credentialing system for veterinarians based on the curricula developed.
I would like to invite you to take this survey with complete anonymity. The survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Please follow the link below. The survey is mobile phone and tablet friendly. I thank you in advance for your time.
https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8nTqav6pd7hQFF3