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This activity was supported by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-70359-8
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-70359-X
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27057

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Advancing health and resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region: A roadmap for progress. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27057.

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COMMITTEE ON PROGRESS TOWARD HUMAN HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO REGION

MAUREEN Y. LICHTVELD (Chair), Dean, Graduate School of Public Health; Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health; Jonas Salk Chair in Population Health, University of Pittsburgh

DAVID L. ALBRIGHT, Distinguished Research Professor, Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research, The University of Alabama, School of Social Work

RICHARD A. BERMAN, Associate Vice President Strategic Initiatives, USF Research & Innovation and Visiting Professor of Social Entrepreneurship, Muma College of Business, University of South Florida

JANE OWENS CAGE, Principal, InsightFive22, Joplin, Missouri

ANITA CHANDRA, Vice President and Director, RAND Social and Economic Well-Being; Senior Policy Researcher; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia

TAMERA COYNE-BEASLEY, Derrol Dawkins, MD Endowed Chair in Adolescent Medicine; Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine; Division Director, UAB Adolescent Medicine; Vice Chair, Pediatrics for Community Engagement, University of Alabama at Birmingham

DAVID P. EISENMAN, Professor-in-Residence, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research and Professor-in-Residence, Community Health Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles

CARLOS E. MARTÍN, Rubenstein Fellow, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC

ROBERT A. MOFFITT, Krieger Eisenhower Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

RONAK B. PATEL, Lecturer, Department of Emergency Medicine; Brigham and Women’s Hospital Director, Urbanization and Resilience Program Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard Medical School

DEANNA J. WATHINGTON, Clinical Director, REACHUP Inc.; Executive Director, Consortium of African-American Public Health Programs; Affiliate Professor, College of Public Health, University of South Florida

ARLANDA JEWEL WILLIAMS, Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development, Dean of Technical Studies; Commissioner, Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District; Supervisor—Southern University System Board of Supervisors, Delgado Community College; Southern University System, Houma, Louisiana

Study Staff

SCOTT H. WOLLEK, Study Director

JENNIFER A. COHEN, Senior Program Officer

NOEL WALTERS, Research Associate

THELMA L. COX, Program Coordinator

CLARE STROUD, Senior Board Director

Consultants

RONA BRIERE, Briere and Associates

Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by NED CALONGE, Colorado School of Public Health, and BOBBIE BERKOWITZ, Columbia University School of Nursing. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Contents

Preface

Summary

1 Introduction

2 Understanding Systems of Health and Community Resilience

3 Addressing Critical Data Gaps in Human Health and Community Resilience in the Gulf Region

4 Strengthening the Foundation: Pillars for Progress Toward Health and Community Resilience in the Gulf Region

5 A Road Map for Advancing Progress Toward Health and Community Resilience in the Gulf Region

Appendixes

A References

B Public Session Agendas

C Commissioned Paper

D Committee Members and Staff Biographical Sketches

Preface

Advancing health and resilience involves intersectoral actions from individuals to communities and from nonprofit organizations to the public sector at the local, state, and national levels, as well as globally. The challenges to be addressed in advancing health and resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region are particularly acute because of the convergence of a historic burden of disparities and inequities, demographic shifts, geographic risks, and the increasing pace and frequency with which significant incidents including hurricanes, flooding, pandemics, environmental incidents, and other disasters have affected the Gulf states in recent years.

The National Academies Gulf Research Program sponsored this study to help inform efforts aimed at advancing progress toward health and community resilience in the Gulf. The committee, guided by the statement of task, sought to center on communities, to hear from those most directly affected by the hazards and challenges faced, and to learn from them what tools, resources, and opportunities would be most useful to communities in addressing those challenges. We hope that others working in the Gulf region and elsewhere will continue to increase their engagement and support of communities and community members as leaders in advancing health and community resilience. Members of the committee are indebted to many from around the Gulf who welcomed us into their communities and shared their experiences with us. We are particularly grateful to Lanor Curole from the United Houma Nation, Gary Wiltz from Teche Action Clinics, and Stephen Murphy from Tulane University for helping host and facilitate our visits in the spring of 2022.

We would be remiss if the committee did not acknowledge that while we were deliberating and preparing this report Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian impacted Florida, causing additional damage and stressing communities and infrastructure already under severe strain from previous disasters and the ongoing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with any undertaking, this report is a reflection of what we have learned to date, but the experiences of these more recent disasters continue to reinforce the need for thoughtful and sustainable action.

It is action that has driven much of the committee members’ thinking about recommendations, and we have crafted this report, and the road map presented in Chapter 5 in particular, as a resource for communities, nongovernmental organizations, government officials, and others involved to use now and in the future. We have endeavored to develop recommendations that are not only specific to take into account the unique experiences of Gulf communities but also flexible enough to be broadly applicable and useful. It is our hope that this report contributes to overcoming the roadblocks limiting progress toward better health and community resilience, both in the Gulf of Mexico region, and beyond.

Maureen Y. Lichtveld, Chair
Committee on Progress Toward Health and
Community Resilience in the Gulf of Mexico Region