The importance of community engagement and rigorous scientific methods to ensure public health is showcased in a film produced by the Hawaiʻi Public Health Workforce Catalyst Lab and Christopher Coats, both in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health.
The film focuses on the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) conducted in June 2024 by the team at the Kauaʻi District Health Office (KDHO). KDHO, which is part of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (HDOH), partnered with UH Mānoa to produce the film.
It was supported by funding from HDOH and the Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair in Public Health Studies.
“A key goal of the Catalyst Lab is to help share the wonderful work in public health across our islands to highlight, support and grow the public health workforce,” said Professor Tetine Sentell, Catalyst Lab principal investigator and the Chung Endowed Chair. “We were so honored to collaborate with the KDHO to share the process of their June 2024 CASPER and to see their incredible team in action!”
Importance of CASPER
CASPER is a rapid needs assessment developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide rapid household level information, pertaining to a community’s health and resource needs. This information facilitates the ability of public health leaders and emergency managers to make informed decisions during an emergency. CASPER can also be used in non-emergency situations.
Alden Henderson, a member of the Catalyst Lab team and a HDOH epidemiologist, helped to develop the CASPER methodology during his career at the CDC. He also helped to teach this method in the Pacific and all around the world.
“The value of a CASPER lies in its ability to deploy teams of public health staff to disaster-affected areas, gathering critical data directly from residents regarding their needs for food, shelter and healthcare,” Henderson said. “This assessment helps policymakers with near real-time information and make decisions regarding efficient allocation of resources to promptly address the most urgent requirements of affected communities. I’ve conducted CASPERs that led to providing food and medical care for residents and ensured that shelters remain accessible and open for those in need.”
KDHO has utilized CASPER to assess the preparedness level of Kauaʻi communities by conducting assessments every year from 2017–24 (excluding 2021). It released the 2024 CASPER results, helping understand the community’s preparedness levels.
“We are grateful to our UH partners for helping to showcase this important annual project that builds disaster capacity while also providing real-time data that can be used to inform county and state plans,” KDHO Deputy District Health Officer Lauren Guest said. “It’s always rewarding to get out into our community and hear from our residents about how they’re doing and what their needs are.”
To learn more about CASPER on Kauaʻi, visit this website.
