Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has traveled to Houston, Texas to assist the American Red Cross in its efforts to provide aid to thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. This week, Klag is conducting public health assessments of several emergency shelters. “Unless you are here, it is difficult to imagine the magnitude of the disaster and the consequent human suffering. The city of Houston and the American Red Cross have met the challenge in an incredibly admirable and generous way,” said Klag. Dean Klag is also serving as a liaison between the Red Cross leadership and local, state and federal agencies providing assistance. He is coordinating medical services for the shelter clients and working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a health surveillance system for the shelters. While in Houston, Klag is being assisted by Alex Vu, DO, MPH, an instructor in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine, and Sarah Tuneberg, a displaced MPH student from Tulane University. Dean Klag’s experiences with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort will be featured in an upcoming article appearing at the Public Health News Center.—Tim Parsons
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