MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE 2008, has been developed by the group that brings you TRAUMA, CRITICAL CARE & ACUTE CARE SURGERY. This course is specifically for clinical personnel who, in the "heat of battle," are trying to save patients' lives and limbs, often with limited space and workers, while trying to quickly determine how to manage more patients than the facility can process. Whether it is an overwhelmingly busy Friday night or a full-scale mass casualty, the clinical personnel are on the front line. Course faculty were selected for their first-hand experience in medical disaster response, and the program was designed to present maximum content in formats most conducive to learning and audience involvement.

Physicians, nurses, administrators and others in the hospital and clinical arenas will, sooner or later, be faced with the care of multiple patients following a natural, terrorism, industrial, or other catastrophic event that might be considered an overwhelming mass casualty or "disaster." Many journals, courses, and even "model" disaster plans address infrastructure, supplies, causes, public health, and logistics. However, the medical/clinical aspects, the most important determinant of survival, are often overlooked.

This course focuses on these aspects and targets the clinical personnel who are the first to receive the victims of a catastrophic event. Whether it is a 10-car pile up or a devastating earthquake, the role of individuals responsible for immediate medical response will be the focus. Every physician, nurse and administrator working in a hospital clinical setting has the potential to be called upon, without notice, to fulfill these responsibilities.

Goals

This course focuses on clinical realities, not logistics, organizational charts and the like, while providing practical information that trauma care providers can take home and implement to improve institutional disaster response plans. Information presented is physician/nurse/hospital care oriented and emphasizes that the trauma center, whether a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4, is the foundation of the disaster medical response system.

Objectives

1. Create an interactive educational experience that will assist clinical personnel in appropriate immediate response to disaster situations.
2. Define the role of the clinician in disaster response.
3. Develop strategies for triage, surge, evacuation, and assessment and assignment of manpower in disaster scenarios.
4. Develop a practical disaster response template for the trauma team.
5. Discuss practical pre-hospital and in-hospital principles for immediate disaster response.
6. Apply concepts from disaster response case studies to the practice setting.
7. Apply concepts from situational disaster scenarios to the practice setting.

Educational Methods

Didactic lectures, panel discussions, case management sessions, and modified tabletop exercise, in addition to audiovisual aids, course syllabus, questions and answers and self-test.

Target Audience

The course is designed primarily for physicians, nurses and administrators in the hospital/clinical settings.

Advance Registration

Registration is limited to the first 300 registrants. To register online using a credit card, complete the online registration form found in the Registration section of this web site. If you wish to pay by check or money order, complete the Advance Registration Form and mail it to the indicated address. There is a $90.00 charge for cancellations, and no refunds after March 12, 2008.

Please note that there is a lower EARLY registration fee for paid registrations received by February 21, 2008.

Discounted Registration Rates apply when you register for both MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE 2008 and TRAUMA, CRITICAL CARE & ACUTE CARE SURGERY 2008. Please see the Combined Registration Fees on the Registration Form.

Travel Information and Discounts

Special conference fares have been arranged with Continental Airlines, United Airlines and Avis Rental Cars. Additional information can be found in the Travel section of this website.

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Refunds are available, less $90.00 processing fee, up to March 12, 2008. No refunds will be given on requests postmarked after March 12. Please note that cancellations must be submitted in writing prior to March 12, 2008. Cancellations will not be accepted over the telephone. Upon receipt of your letter of cancellation, you will receive immediate confirmation, including amount of refund to be mailed to you. No refunds will be issued after March 12, 2008. If canceling, mail/fax your cancellation request on or before March 12 to:

If you have questions, meeting personnel are available to assist you via email, telephone or fax. We regret that we cannot take course reservations over the phone or via fax.