The Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster Preparedness was formalized at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 2006.  The purpose of this committee is to address the unrecognized needs of mothers, infants, and young families during disasters, and coordinate efforts to meet these needs.  We recognize disasters when we see them -- but that is too late to begin planning health care interventions.  Hurricane Katrina highlighted the need for better care for mothers and babies.  But a year later, few plans include adequate measures to protect pregnant women.  The increased recognition of public health disaster preparedness needs has not included plans specific to this special population.  Another goal of the Committee is to help ACNM members prepare for disasters on a local level.     

The chairman, Robbie Prepas, CNM, JD, brings her personal experience and invaluable expertise to this committee, having served on Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) that have provided medical care during September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, and the Tsunami in Indonesia.  (Read Robbie's article in the November/December 2005 issue of Quickening, about her experiences in New Orleans.)  For anyone interested in becoming involved with disaster preparedness, please contact Robbie, or Monica Greenfield, Program Coordinator in the ACNM Department of Professional Services, via email or at (240) 485-1844.


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