Disaster Recovery Plan for Valley City Community

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Introduction

A disaster is a sudden event that disrupt the normal functioning of a community. It can cause adverse impact such as loss of life, destruction of property, emotional trauma, and many more (Healthy People 2020, 2020). For example, Valley city community suffered a tragic derailment of an oil-tanker train and subsequent explosion that led to serious impact on the community. However, the disaster exposed their level of unpreparedness in dealing with a tragic event and recovering from its impacts. Disaster recovery is the most important process after the occurrence of a tragic situation.

Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health are conditions where one is born, grow, and work. It include aspects such as employment, education, built environment, and availability of resources. Employment enables an individual and their families to pay basic needs (Friedman & Banegas, 2018). Education allows one to learn concepts such as disaster recovery. The availability of infrastructure such as hospitals promote the health and wellbeing of the community. Finally, the existence of resources such as water, power is important in the promotion of health. In addition, the inability to communicate or see are two difficulties that could hinder a person’s capacity to flee a disaster. Individuals with such health problems or disabilities are less likely to survive a natural disaster because they may be unable to speak, seek help, or notice the disaster’s arrival.

MAP-IT Framework

MAP-IT is a model that can be used to develop a disaster recovery plan. The first step in this model is to mobilize collaborative partners to help during a disaster. It involve mobilizing individuals and organizations who care about the health and wellbeing of the community into a coalition (Abell & Blankenship, 2019). The second step involves assessing the areas of greatest need in Vila health community and other strengths. The third step involve planning the approach to disaster recovery. The fourth step is about implementing the plan developed and the final step is tracking the progress through time.

Mobilize Collaborators

The first phase of the disaster recovery plan involves identifying and bring together relevant collaborators. In the healthcare sector, some of the partners who are important for disaster recovery are Valley City Hospital personnel such as physicians, administrators and nurse leaders. Community partners are local leaders, nearby medical facilities, church, and banks. Other partners to be involved are local rescue teams, fire fighting departments, police, learning institutions, and American Red Cross. To bring these people together, it is important to creates a vision and assign roles (Abell & Blankenship, 2019).

Assess the Needs of the Community

Assessing the needs of the community is integral in development of the plan. Firstly, the community has a diverse population that should be considered. The community’s population consists of whites, Latinos, African-American, Native American, and many more. For example, there is need for collaborators especially the first responders to understand the different cultures of the population. Secondly, the elderly and disabled population require adequate attention. Thirdly, the community has a financial problem with a looming bankruptcy.

Other Need of the Community

The other needs in the community that should be addressed for effective disaster recovery plan. Firstly, there is a shortage of bed at the community hospital. They have a total of 105 hospital beds. Secondly, the hospital has two ambulances to serve the whole community when responding to emergency situation. Thirdly, the hospital’s infrastructure and some of the equipment are old and worn-out. Fourthly, the hospital has few staffs serving the entire community. The shortage of staffing at the hospital is among the reasons that contribute to failed recovery during a crisis.

Plan

The following plan will help in the development of an effective disaster recovery process. Firstly, educate the public on disaster preparedness, evacuation, and recovery. This will be done through town-hall meetings, social media platform, and other platforms. The message will consider the needs of the special group like the elderly and disabled. Secondly, obtain financial help from donors to help with the management of disaster. Thirdly, train all the partners on how to effectively manage a disaster. Fourthly, upgrade the infrastructure of the hospital and create emergency supply of key resources such as water, food, and power. For example, the elderly and disabled individuals in the community will be given monthly financial aid to support their daily needs due to their inability to work. For example, with adequate financial support, the elderly will be able to meet the basic needs in life. The homeless individuals due to disaster will be resettled in homes built by the local government.

Implementation

Once the plan is established, the collaborators must move into action. Firstly, the partners will ask for funds from the state and donors who are willing to support the process. The funds needed will also be obtained through fund drive. Secondly, develop a training program for the collaborators and general public. Thirdly, the local government involved will start the installation of emergency water and power supply. Thirdly, the hospital leaders will be required to develop a robust counselling department, order more beds and an addition of 10 ambulances.

Tracking

Tracking is an important process because it help in the development of an effectively recovery plan. The first task will be to record the progress of the set plan. For example, it is important to ask whether training module has been developed. The second task will be to record the changes made. In this case, the changes made will be visible enough for people to see. The third task is to determine the time taken to complete an activity. For example, the plan will be completed within a specific timeline.

The Impact of Health and Government Policy

Health and government policy have an impact on the development of disaster recovery. The American with disability act is integral because it ensures that the needs of people with disability are included in the plan. The Stafford act ensures that the federal government to support the state and local authorities in disaster recovery. The post-Katrina emergency management reform act enables FEMA to coordinate as well as support disaster recovery. In addition, Sandy Recovery improvement act of 2013 provide a guideline on how the authorities may handle disaster recovery (Pareja, 2018).

How To Overcome Communication Barriers

There are various ways to overcome communication barriers. One of the strategies is to enhance interpersonal relationship. This will increase trust and honest communication among stakeholders. The other strategy is to create an emergency communication plan. This will ensure that communication is maintained even during a disaster. Communication barrier will also be eliminated by using simple language that stakeholders will understand (Shittu et al., 2018). Finally, promoting feedback during communication will assist eliminate the hindrance.

Conclusion

The disaster recovery plan is important because it restores Vila Health community. MAP-IT framework is used to plan public health interventions. Firstly, the hospital infrastructure should be upgraded to support disaster recovery. Secondly, collaborators and public should be trained to equip them with the skills required for effective disaster recovery. Thirdly, since communication barrier is an hindrance to effective disaster recovery process, it should be eliminated. One of the ways of eliminating communication barrier is by enhancing interpersonal communication.

References

Abell, C., & Blankenship, M. (2019). Introducing health ministry in a rural american church. Journal of Christian Nursing, 36(4), 244-250. Web.

Healthy People 2020. MAP-IT: a guide to using Healthy People 2020 in your community. Web.

Friedman, N. L., & Banegas, M. P. (2018). Toward addressing social determinants of health: a health care system strategy. The Permanente Journal, 22. Web.

Pareja, V. (2018). Weathering the Second Storm: How Bureaucracy and Fraud Curtailed Homeowners’ Efforts to Rebuild After Superstorm Sandy. Hofstra Law Review, 47, 925.

Shittu, E., Parker, G., & Mock, N. (2018). Improving communication resilience for effective disaster relief operations. Environment Systems and Decisions, 38(3), 379-397. Web.

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