Disaster Preparedness in St. Kitts and Nevis:
Twenty students from the University of Virginia
participated in the U.Va January term course on
Disaster Preparedness in the West Indies, in
St. Kitts and Nevis, from the 2nd through 14th of
January, 2010. They studied the fundamentals of
Emergency Care and Disaster Preparedness
through a series of lectures, direct observations,
skills modules and exploration of the
preparedness infrastructure currently existing in
the small developing Federation of St. Kitts and
Nevis.
The course offered an unparalleled opportunity
for students to learn from distinguished U.Va
faculty, and St. Kitts Nursing, Medical School and
Veterinary School faculty, local disaster
preparedness officers and healthcare providers in
a non-traditional learning environment. In 2010,
course faculty included Dr. Marcus Martin, Interim
Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and
Equity and UVA School of Medicine; Dr. Audrey
Snyder, UVA School of Nursing and Nurse Advisor
for Community Outreach; Dr. Bill Brady, UVA
Emergency Medicine and School of Medicine;
Elizabeth Wright, Director of Operations Medical
Simulation Center UVA School of Medicine and
Kostas Alibertis, Emergency Preparedness and
Response Coordinator.
Impetus for the course derived from a visit to
Charlottesville in October 2007 by the St. Kitts
and Nevis Minister of Health, Hon. Rupert Herbert,
who invited the University of Virginia to collaborate
with his country on educational missions. The
opportunity to further diversify the U.Va
undergraduate curriculum cultural content and
expand health care course options was evident
and seized by Dr. Marcus Martin, Professor of
Emergency Medicine, Assistant Dean in the
School of Medicine and Associate Vice President
for Diversity and Equity.
In collaboration with the St. Kitts Ministry of Health,
the Study Abroad Office and the U.Va Office for
Diversity and Equity, Dr. Martin developed the
January term course on health care with the intent
to maximize student access by keeping it as
affordable as possible. The first course was
offered January 2009.
Twenty students from the University of Virginia
participated in the U.Va January term course on
Disaster Preparedness in the West Indies, in
St. Kitts and Nevis, from the 2nd through 14th of
January, 2010. They studied the fundamentals of
Emergency Care and Disaster Preparedness
through a series of lectures, direct observations,
skills modules and exploration of the
preparedness infrastructure currently existing in
the small developing Federation of St. Kitts and
Nevis.
The course offered an unparalleled opportunity
for students to learn from distinguished U.Va
faculty, and St. Kitts Nursing, Medical School and
Veterinary School faculty, local disaster
preparedness officers and healthcare providers in
a non-traditional learning environment. In 2010,
course faculty included Dr. Marcus Martin, Interim
Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and
Equity and UVA School of Medicine; Dr. Audrey
Snyder, UVA School of Nursing and Nurse Advisor
for Community Outreach; Dr. Bill Brady, UVA
Emergency Medicine and School of Medicine;
Elizabeth Wright, Director of Operations Medical
Simulation Center UVA School of Medicine and
Kostas Alibertis, Emergency Preparedness and
Response Coordinator.
Impetus for the course derived from a visit to
Charlottesville in October 2007 by the St. Kitts
and Nevis Minister of Health, Hon. Rupert Herbert,
who invited the University of Virginia to collaborate
with his country on educational missions. The
opportunity to further diversify the U.Va
undergraduate curriculum cultural content and
expand health care course options was evident
and seized by Dr. Marcus Martin, Professor of
Emergency Medicine, Assistant Dean in the
School of Medicine and Associate Vice President
for Diversity and Equity.
In collaboration with the St. Kitts Ministry of Health,
the Study Abroad Office and the U.Va Office for
Diversity and Equity, Dr. Martin developed the
January term course on health care with the intent
to maximize student access by keeping it as
affordable as possible. The first course was
offered January 2009.
| University of Virginia students in St. Kitts and Nevis for course in Disaster Preparedness |
| Lester Blackett, Director NDMD with Dr. Marcus Martin, Emergency Medicine Professor at UVA |
| UVA Students and faculty during the rain forest tour on Nevis |
| UVA Students and faculty visiting the Alexandra Hospital on Nevis |
