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Experiences of HIV/STD Providers in New York State During Hurricane Sandy: Strengths, Challenges, and Recommendations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2020

Kristen Vacca ,
Asante Shipp-Hilts ,
Stephanie Mack ,
Yunshu Li ,
Millicent Eidson ,
Trang Nguyen  and
Guthrie Birkhead
Kristen Vacca*
Affiliation:
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Albany, New York
Asante Shipp-Hilts
Affiliation:
UAlbany School of Public Health (SPH), Rensselaer, New York
Stephanie Mack
Affiliation:
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Albany, New York
Yunshu Li
Affiliation:
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Albany, New York
Millicent Eidson
Affiliation:
UAlbany School of Public Health (SPH), Rensselaer, New York
Trang Nguyen
Affiliation:
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Albany, New York
Guthrie Birkhead
Affiliation:
UAlbany School of Public Health (SPH), Rensselaer, New York
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Kristen Vacca, Public Health Specialist, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, 1006 Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY12237 (e-mail: kristen.vacca@health.ny.gov).
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Abstract

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess strengths and challenges experienced by HIV/STD providers in providing care during the response to Hurricane Sandy (Sandy) in New York State, and their recommendations for future preparedness.

Methods:

A mixed methods approach, including a focus group (n = 3), interviews (n = 3), and survey (n = 31) of HIV/STD providers, was used. Key words identified by means of open coding methodology from collected data were organized into strengths, challenges, and recommendations and then grouped into federal and study-associated preparedness capabilities.

Results:

Key words were organized into 81 strengths (38.8%), 73 challenges (34.9%), and 55 recommendations (26.3%). Services most interrupted during Sandy were related to HIV/STD outreach and education. While providers reported challenges with external agency communication, the ability to still connect clients to needed resources was reported as a strength. Strengthening partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies was among the major recommendations made by these providers.

Conclusions:

This study presents unique information about challenges experienced by HIV/STD providers in providing services during a natural disaster and the use of national public health emergency preparedness capabilities to address and overcome those challenges. Lessons learned and recommendations regarding inter-agency communications emerged as an important priority during a natural disaster to minimize or reduce service interruption.

Keywords

emergency preparednessHIV/STD providersHIV/STDsnatural disastersqualitative
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 15 , Issue 6 , December 2021 , pp. 691 - 696
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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References

REFERENCES

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