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Michael Curran, a graduate student at Saint Louis University’s College of Public Health and Social Justice, received a Civil Service Medal this month for his exemplary service to the nation as a member of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) during the federal medical response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I am very honored, very grateful and very grateful to receive this award,” said Curran. But there are so many other people who deserve this award like me. During my tenure as a DMT member, I experienced occasional, temporary problems in my life. Some people have been fighting this epidemic every month, week, and day. This award is as much theirs as mine.”
Curran was one of 1,400 NDMS responders to receive the medal at the National Emergency Medical System Training Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Awarded to persons engaged in providing medical services to state, territory, tribal and local communities for 30 consecutive or 60 cumulative days.
NDMS Director Michael Smith said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged our nation’s health care system and medical professionals for nearly three years. “Michael Curran and his NDMS colleagues have served as a lifeline to hundreds of hospitals and long-term care facilities by providing temporary relief to staff, increasing bed capacity and improving outcomes for COVID-19 patients. This medal reflects a selfless commitment to the public health and medical needs of our residents.
Curran found his calling in public health after working in a variety of roles in the public service and medical fields, including as a first responder, private ambulance EMT and nurse. In the year In 2015, Curran pursued a position with the Kentucky State Department of Health working in infectious diseases after the Ebola outbreak. All these careers took him to St. Louis University.
Knowing he wanted to pursue a career in public health, Curran sought a master’s program that was at the top of the industry, forward-thinking, and could be completed online. After much research, he found a program that checked all these boxes and more: SLU’s Biodiversity and Disaster Preparedness degree.
“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to enroll at SLU, especially with the program I chose to pursue,” Curran said. “SLU ranks high nationally in this program, from the materials to the classroom discussions to the instructors to the guest lecturers. I accidentally started a biosecurity and disaster preparedness program and the world was hit by an epidemic. So I am very grateful for the program and what it has taught me so far.
One example of this is his relationship with Terry Rebman, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the President and Director of the SLU Biosecurity Institute, who helped SLU respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curran first met her during his search for master’s programs and peppered her with questions. After enrolling at SLU, he continued to have many conversations with her, taking in as much information as he could in and out of the classroom to help him with his own work in infectious disease control.
“I am very proud of all that Michael has accomplished in the SLU Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness Program,” said Rebman, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics. This award shows his deep commitment to the sector.
As Curran continues to put SLU’s mission into practice, his instructors note that his training has allowed him to serve his country in an unprecedented way.
“The Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness program provides individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in the field,” said Carol Baskin, DVM, MS, an instructor in SLU’s College of Public Health and Social Justice. They apply and help individuals identify themselves during a real disaster response.
College of Public Health and Social Justice
Saint Louis University’s College of Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic department of its kind, studying the social, environmental and physical influences that determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.
Driven by a social justice mission and focused on finding creative and collaborative solutions to complex health problems, the college offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health management, applied behavior analysis, and crime and criminal justice.
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