Leveraging Academic Health Departments for Place-Based Disaster Response: Lessons from Helene in Western North Carolina

Authors

Danny Scalise II, Burke County Health DepartmentFollow
Sarah B. Thach, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillFollow
Ellis V. Matheson, Buncombe County Department of Health and Human ServicesFollow

Corresponding Author

Danny Scalise II: dscalise@gmail.com

Author Affiliations

1. Danny Scalise II, MPH, CPH: Public Health director, Burke County Public Health (Morganton, NC); E-mail: danny@dannyscalise.com; ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7091-747X
2. Sarah B. Thach, MPH: Director of UNC Asheville - UNC Gillings Master of Public Health Program, Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice, Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC at Chapel Hill (Asheville NC) ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7285-3019
3. Ellis V. Matheson, DNP, RN: Health director, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, (Asheville NC)

Author Area of Expertise

Danny Scalise and Ellis Matheson are health directors of Burke and Buncombe Counties, respectively.

Sarah Thach teaches and codirects the UNC Asheville - UNC Gillings Master of Public Health program in Asheville, NC.

All three experienced Hurricane Helene last fall.

Abstract

This article examines the role of two Academic Health Departments (AHDs) in Buncombe and Burke Counties, North Carolina in responding to Hurricane Helene in 2024. The partnership between local health departments and the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health (MPH) Program fostered a place-based approach to public health. After the hurricane disrupted regional infrastructure, the AHDs integrated students and faculty into recovery efforts. This paper identifies key lessons for strengthening public health preparedness through academic-practice partnerships and highlights the importance of embedding education in local contexts.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.13023/jah.0703.12

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Scalise D, Thach SB, Matheson EV. Leveraging academic health departments for place-based disaster response: lessons from Helene in Western North Carolina. J Appalach Health 2025; 7(2/3):160-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13023/jah.0703.12