The Influence of Neighboring Jurisdictions Matters: Examining the Impact of Natural Disasters on Local Government Fiscal Accounts

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of natural disasters on emergency and disaster relief service (EDRS) expenditure in the governmental funds for sixty-six counties in the state of Florida between 2009 and 2013. Specifically, it will explore whether the fiscal responses of local governments in these fiscal accounts are spatially dependent by using the spatial Durbin model. It finds that EDRS expenditures in the general fund and in the special revenue fund of one county are influenced by the levels of damage in neighboring counties. This study also finds a spillover effect of intergovernmental revenues from state and federal governments on these EDRS expenditures in fiscal accounts. These results suggest that the provision of public goods (such as disaster relief activities) may generate spatial spillover at the local level in the context of US federalism. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of accounting for spatial factors in the study with respect to local jurisdictions’ fiscal reactions to natural disasters.

Insights from vulnerability-driven optimisation for humanitarian logistics

Natural disasters and the vulnerability of a population go hand in hand. We cannot understand the level of a disaster without grasping the extent of people�s vulnerability. But how can we ensure that humanitarian assistance is driven by people�s vulnerability when the lack of resources makes it impossible to support all those that need it? This study thus contributes to this line of research by enhancing our understanding of how we can �put the reality of the most vulnerable people first� (cf. Chambers 1995). For this purpose, we examine two experiences that have proposed to incorporate vulnerability concerns into the planning and optimisation of humanitarian logistics operations. The first experience relies on a very popular composite indicator called Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) to build enhanced response capacity in more vulnerable areas. The second experience is built upon a poverty measure called Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) to identify the groups that potentially need the most relief aid supply and to help devising allocation plans in compliance with people�s income. These two experiences reveal that in most cases targeting more vulnerable areas increases their level of access to relief aid goods without greatly compromising the relief service levels of less vulnerable areas.

Clinical practice and procedures for postoperative care in Sweden: Results from a nationwide survey

A nationwide survey describing Swedish post-anaesthesia care units (PACUs), n = 75 was undertaken. The patients most commonly cared for at PACUs were patients who had undergone laparoscopic surgery, 69.3%, followed by patients who had undergone minor orthopaedic surgery, 68%. At the majority of the PACUs, 86.7%, the staff cared for emergency surgery patients and 48% for day surgery patients. In 31% of the PACUs, a pain relief service was offered through a specific pain service team. During the daytime, the anaesthetist in charge most frequently worked in the operating room 42.7%, and on call in the intensive care unit, 37.3% of the time. In 88% of the PACUs, either all or most registered nurses had a specialist education at an advanced level. The most frequent ratio of registered nurses to patients was 1 to 4, 37.3%. However, Swedish PACUS are also staffed by assistant nurses and the most frequent ratio of registered nurse to assistant nurse was 1:1. Thirty-three (44%) of the PACUs had access to a physiotherapist during the daytime. Almost all PACUs (93.3%) had predetermined discharge criteria but in the majority of PACUs' high-risk patients (68%) were not followed up by an anaesthetist after discharge from the PACU.

"Segundas Oportunidades": Rehabilitación y reinserción con apoyo del sector privado en El Salvador

Entrevista a Rosa Anaya, Coordinadora de Programa "Segundas Oportunidades". Área de Construcción de Paz y Justicia Catholic Relief Service El Salvador.Realidad Empresarial No. 5, 2018: 48-50