Release date: June 29, 2007

Emory Names Sr. Administrator for Critical Event Preparedness and Response Office

Contact: Nancy Seideman (University), nseidem@emory.edu, 404-727-0640
Contact: Holly Korschun (Health Sciences), mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu, 404-727-3990

Emory University has named Robert Nadolski as senior administrator for the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR). Established this spring, CEPAR is expected to further improve the university's ability to plan and deliver a coordinated and effective response to catastrophic events. Alexander P. Isakov, MD, MPH, associate professor of emergency medicine in Emory University School of Medicine, is CEPAR executive director.

Nadolski has broad experience in administration, regulatory oversight and education with over 20 years experience in the management and administration of emergency medical service and healthcare operations. Prior to joining CEPAR, he served as vice president for Grady Health System's emergency medical services and level-one trauma center. Grady EMS, which is the sole provider of 911 emergency medical response for the city of Atlanta, answered nearly 95,000 requests for medical assistance in 2006. The trauma service admitted roughly 2,200 patients who met the American College of Surgeon's criteria for inclusion in the trauma registry.

He also was responsible for Grady Health System's Emergency Management Program and was instrumental in implementing the Regional Coordinating Hospital Program within the Metropolitan Atlanta area in collaboration with the State Department of Public Health and the Georgia Hospital Association. Working in concert with the Veteran's Administration in Atlanta and the National Disaster Medical System, he facilitated the distribution of medical evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to 32 hospitals and long-term care facilities.

"Bob Nadolski brings a tremendous amount of experience and expertise to Emory's emergency preparedness efforts," says Dr. Isakov. "He is a respected community leader and collaborator who will help us carry out our commitment to enhance Emory's ability to ensure the well-being of individuals here and in the broader community."

Nadolski has represented emergency medical services and area hospitals on the Georgia Emergency Management Agency's All Hazards Council and served as the chair for EMS and medical surge capacity planning on the Department of Homeland Security's Atlanta Urban Area Security Initiative. He has served on various state and regional EMS councils and committees in Massachusetts, Mississippi and Georgia. He has been an active participant in local and state-wide pandemic flu planning activities.

Working with physicians, nurses and other medical specialists, Nadolski has developed treatment pathways, algorithms and telephone tools used in the pre-hospital environment, nurse counseling and advice centers and chronic disease management programs.

He began his career as a paramedic in Worcester, Ma. He received his B.S. degree from Worcester State College in Massachusetts and his paramedic training at Northeastern University in Boston.

CEPAR integrates all relevant components of the university in an interdisciplinary approach to the challenges of a catastrophe. The office also will partner with the broader community, including local, regional and federal resources to improve outcomes during and after an event. The center has a broad scope, addressing all hazards, including natural disasters, human-caused catastrophic events and public health emergencies.

In addition to bridging the preparedness activities of all the university's divisions and enhancing capabilities and opportunities for collaboration, CEPAR will serve as Emory's integrated command and control center, orchestrating a unified and effective response to catastrophic events. It also will enhance Emory's collaborations with its community partners, including Grady Health System, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the Carter Center, and Clifton Community Partnership.

Emory University is one of the nation’s leading private research universities and a member of the Association of American Universities. Known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities, Emory is ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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