Program introduction and accreditation statement

“Biological, Chemical and Nuclear Emergencies: A Physician Education Program”

This curriculum is designed to assist physicians in obtaining experience in bio terrorism preparedness training. There are Biological, Chemical and Nuclear agents contained in the modules. These modules will provide valuable information during any public health emergency involving these agents.

“The Psychological Impact of Disaster and Terrorism: Tending to the Hidden Wounds”

This curriculum is designed to assist physicians in treating trauma resulting from terrorism and natural disasters.

Accreditation Information

• The Medical Society of the State of New York is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
• The Medical Society of the State of New York designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (s)^TM. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement

• Faculty participants do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research or services may be discussed in these materials.
• There is no discussion of investigational or unlabeled uses of products.

Program Authors

BCN Program Author - Angelo Acquista, MD

Angelo Acquista, M.D., received his medical degree at New York University School of Medicine in 1981 and is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan as an Attending Physician and Clinical Instructor in the Intensive Care Unit. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and tropical diseases, and he is an Honorary Police Surgeon of the New York City Police Department. He also served on Mayor Giuliani's Task Force on Bioterrorism and is the former pro bono Medical Director for the New York City Office of Emergency Management.

William M. Valenti, MD

William Valenti, MD, is an internist/ infectious diseases specialist and a native of Rochester, NY. He is a co-founder of AIDS Community Health Center, a not-for-profit medical clinic caring for 700 people with HIV/AIDS in Rochester, NY.

Dr. Valenti did his infectious diseases training at the University of Rochester, is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and prior to his work in HIV treatment, research and policy, he served as Hospital Epidemiologist at Strong Memorial Hospital from 1977-1988. During this period, he also served as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control to develop training programs on the practice and theory of infection control and outbreak investigation, vaccine preventable infections, and emerging infectious diseases and their management.

Psychological Impact of Disaster Program Author - Craig Katz, MD

Dr. Craig Katz is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where has served in various roles since 2000. Dr. Katz served as the director of the World Trade Center Worker/Volunteer Mental Health Monitoring and Treatment Program, which meets the mental health needs of people who worked or volunteered at Ground Zero after 9/1l from 2002 through July 2006, and now is the Supervising Psychiatrist within that program. He also serves as the Director of the Fellowship in Global Mental Health at Mount Sinai. Dr. Katz has previously served as the Director of Psychiatry Emergency Services and then Director of Acute Care Psychiatry Services at Mount Sinai. Dr. Katz received separate teaching awards from medical students and residents in 2001 and was nominated as a faculty member of the Mount Sinai chapter of the AOA medical honor society in 2003.

Dr. Katz co-founded Disaster Psychiatry Outreach (DPO) in 1998 as a charitable organization devoted to the provision of voluntary psychiatric care to people affected by disasters and has served in various roles in the organization, currently serving as its President. His work in disasters has extended as far as El Salvador and Sri Lanka. Dr. Katz also serves as co-chair of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) New York County District Branch Committee on Disaster and as principal author of a number of citywide and statewide training programs in disaster mental health. He lectures, writes, and conducts scholarly work on various aspects of disasters as they relate to psychiatry, including two edited books. Dr. Katz received the APA's 2001 Bruno Lima Award in Disaster Psychiatry. He has been a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine since 2007.

Dr. Katz graduated from Harvard College and obtained his medical degree from Columbia University. He went on to complete his residency in psychiatry at Columbia University in 1999 and a subsequent fellowship in forensic psychiatry at New York University in 2000. Dr. Katz has a private practice in general and forensic psychiatry in Manhattan.