title: Emergency medicine systems advancement through community-based development.
abstract: Humanitarian health programs frequently focus on immediate relief and are supply side oriented or donor driven. More emphasis should be placed on long-term development projects that engage local community leaders to ensure sustainable change in health care systems. With the Emergency Medicine Educational Exchange (EMEDEX) International Rescue, Recover, Rebuild initiative in Northeast Haiti as a model, this paper discusses the opportunities and challenges in using community-based development to establish emergency medical systems in resource-limited settings.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of International Education, Scholar Rescue Fund, New York, New York USA.
authors.forename: Martha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York USA.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York USA.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosentsveyg
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York USA.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arquilla
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006205:Haiti; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012066:Relief Work