Who's In Charge?: Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises (Praeger Security International)

A detailed exploration of leadership problems that can develop during public health crises such as the anthrax attacks, SARS, and Mad Cow disease. An imminent threat to the public health, such as the swine flu outbreak, is no time for a muddled chain of command and contradictory decision making. Who's In Charge? Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises explores the crucial relationships between political leaders, public health officials, journalists, and others to see why leadership confusion develops. Who's In Charge? begins by looking at the overarching issues of leadership, public health administration, and the threats of bioterrorism. It then examines five recent emergenciesthe 2001 anthrax attacks and 1993 cryptosporidium outbreak in the United States, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the decade-long battle against Mad Cow Disease in the U.K. A perfect text for schools in public health, or as a reference for elected officials at every level of government, the book shows how each event developed step-by-step to pinpoint specific leadership issues. Engaging and absorbing, the work presents official reports, medical literature, first-person accounts from officials and journalists, and discussions of the role of law enforcement and the military during health care emergencies. Prepared and engaged elected officials are absolutely critical for effective responses to any crisis. Elected officials have unique roles and responsibilities that only they can fill. They must decide how much or how little decision-making authority they will delegate to their professional appointees such as public health and agriculture officials when crises develop. A well-understood chain of command is vital for saving lives. This book explores leadership during disease crises, with the goal of understanding why leadership problems develop This book explores the crucial relationships between political leaders, public health officials, journalists, and others to see why leadership confusion develops. It begins by looking at the overarching issues of leadership, public health administration, and the threats of bioterrorism. It then examines five recent emergencies--the 2001 anthrax attacks and 1993 cryptosporidium outbreak in the United States, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the decade-long battle against Mad Cow Disease in the U.K