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Academic Affiliated Training Centers in Humanitarian Health, Part I: Program Characteristics and Professionalization Preferences of Centers in North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2013

Frederick M. Burkle Jr. ,
Alexa E. Walls ,
Joan P. Heck ,
Brian S. Sorensen ,
Hilarie H. Cranmer ,
Kirsten Johnson ,
Adam C. Levine ,
Stephanie Kayden ,
Brendan Cahill  and
Michael J. VanRooyen
Frederick M. Burkle Jr.*
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC USA
Alexa E. Walls
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
Joan P. Heck
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
Brian S. Sorensen
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
Hilarie H. Cranmer
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Kirsten Johnson
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Humanitarian Studies Initiative, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Adam C. Levine
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Global Emergency Medicine Fellowship, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island USA
Stephanie Kayden
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Lavine Family Humanitarian Studies Initiative, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA International Emergency Medicine Fellowship, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Brendan Cahill
Affiliation:
Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, Fordham University, New York, New York USA
Michael J. VanRooyen
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts USA
*
Correspondence: Frederick M. Burkle, Jr., MD, MPH, DTM Harvard Humanitarian Initiative 14 Story Street, 2nd Floor Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA E-mail [email protected]
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Abstract

The collaborative London based non-governmental organization network ELRHA (Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance) supports partnerships between higher education institutions and humanitarian organizations worldwide with the objective to enhance the professionalization of the humanitarian sector. While coordination and control of the humanitarian sector has plagued the response to every major crisis, concerns highlighted by the 2010 Haitian earthquake response further catalyzed and accelerated the need to ensure competency-based professionalization of the humanitarian health care work force. The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative sponsored an independent survey of established academically affiliated training centers in North America that train humanitarian health care workers to determine their individual training center characteristics and preferences in the potential professionalization process. The survey revealed that a common thread of profession-specific skills and core humanitarian competencies were being offered in both residential and online programs with additional programs offering opportunities for field simulation experiences and more advanced degree programs. This study supports the potential for the development of like-minded academic affiliated and competency-based humanitarian health programs to organize themselves under ELRHA's regional “consultation hubs” worldwide that can assist and advocate for improved education and training opportunities in less served developing countries.

Burkle Jr FM, WallsAE, HeckJP, SorensenBS, CranmerHH, JohnsonK, LevineAC, KaydenS, CahillB, VanRooyenMJ. Academic Affiliated Training Centers in Humanitarian Health, Part I: Program Characteristics and Professionalization Preferences of Centers in North America. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013:28(2):1-8.

Keywords

competenciesERLHAhumanitarian education and traininghumanitarian healthprofessionalization
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 155 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2013

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