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. 2018 Oct 4;9(4):e0031.
doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10354.

Crises and Turnaround Management: Lessons Learned from Recovery of New Orleans and Tulane University Following Hurricane Katrina

Marc J Kahn  1   2   3   4 , Benjamin P Sachs  5   6
Affiliations

Crises and Turnaround Management: Lessons Learned from Recovery of New Orleans and Tulane University Following Hurricane Katrina

Marc J Kahn et al. Rambam Maimonides Med J. .

Abstract

By their very nature both man-made and natural disasters are unpredictable, and so we recommend that all health-care institutions be prepared. In this paper, the authors describe and make a number of recommendations, regarding the importance of crisis and turnaround management using as a model the New Orleans public health system and Tulane University Medical School post-Hurricane Katrina. Leadership skills, articulation of vision, nimble decision making, and teamwork are all crucial elements of a successful recovery from disaster. The leadership team demonstrated courage, integrity, entrepreneurship, and vision. As a result, it led to a different approach to public health and the introduction of new and innovative medical education and research programs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Post-Katrina Logo for Tulane University School of Medicine Emphasizing the Tripartite Mission of Education, Clinical Care, and Research in the Context of Healing the Community of New Orleans.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Estimated Doubling Time of Medical Knowledge by Year
Students starting medical school in 2010 will master 6% of the knowledge available in 2020. Adapted from Denson, 2010.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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