514 - Geo-Mapping Pediatric Disaster Preparedness: Identifying Gaps Among Families of Children with Special Health Care Needs

Publication Number: 1494.514

Yae Sul (Hazel) Jeong, Nationwide Children's Hospital ; The Ohio State Univeristy, Hilliard, OH, United States; Charmaine B. Lo, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Garey Noritz, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States; Jordee Wells, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; rachel stanley, Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States

Background: Children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) are disproportionately affected by disasters due to their reliance on medical devices, medications, and specialized therapies. A subset of CYSHCN, those with complex chronic conditions (CCC), face even higher risk. Disasters can disrupt access to essential medications and treatments, highlighting the importance of coordinated planning that considers both social vulnerability and local hazard risks.
Lauren and her daughter Stephanie, who has autism and relies on refrigerated medication following a kidney transplant, exemplify these challenges. During Hurricane Sandy, local fire department personnel safeguarded Stephanie's medications and provided a climate-controlled space, demonstrating the critical role of community partners-in disaster preparedness for CYSHCN.

Objective: To analyze and create an interactive map highlighting gaps in resources and areas of highest risk, providing a practical tool for disaster planners, public health specialists, and pediatricians.

Design/Methods: We conducted a geo-mapping analysis using data from Partners for Kids, a pediatric accountable care organization, covering 470,000 pediatric lives in Central and Southeastern Ohio, alongside publicly available datasets on social vulnerability, hazard risk, and critical infrastructure. This analysis identified the proportion of children with CCC, including technologically dependent children, their geographic distribution, disaster risk in their communities, and the availability of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and emergency medical services. Based on the 2023 Ohio Hazard Vulnerability Analysis, flooding, tornadoes, and winter storms were identified as the highest-risk natural hazards and were evaluated relative to where children with CCC reside and visualized through an interactive map.

Results: Our findings show that most critical infrastructure is concentrated in urban counties. Rural Appalachian counties, despite a higher proportion of children with CCC and technologically dependent children and elevated disaster risk scores for ice storms, flooding, strong winds, and tornadoes, have comparatively fewer resources, underscoring significant gaps in preparedness for rural communities.

Conclusion(s): These disparities highlight gaps in preparedness for rural communities and the urgent need for community-level coordination and targeted interventions to ensure continuity of care and resilience for families with CYSHCN during disasters.

Prevalence of children with special needs
Prevalence of children with special needs and technologically dependent children

Critical infrastructure resources
Resources in form of critical infrastructure - schools, daycare, hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency medical services

National Risk Index (NRI)
National risk index for hazards - such as winter storms, tornados, flooding, etc