Berkley School of Nursing and Global Health Institute Host Interdisciplinary Case Challenge on Disaster Response
Over 50 participants representing 10 academic programs across Georgetown University came together for the third INSPIRE Case Challenge, a virtual interdisciplinary competition hosted by the Berkley School of Nursing and the Global Health Institute.
Held each semester, the competition invites undergraduate and graduate students, as well as residents and fellows from MedStar Health, to develop solutions for complex health emergencies.
This semester’s case focused on severe flooding in the fictional town of Riverton, where damaged roads and compromised water systems disrupted daily life and access to care. Teams were tasked with designing responses for families facing displacement and increased health risks during an ongoing emergency.
“Flooding provided a realistic scenario for students to think through how environmental disruptions can quickly create layered health risks for at-risk communities,” said Kathryn Atkin, DNP, assistant professor at the Berkley School of Nursing and one of the faculty organizers of the case challenge.
Winning Team Develops Mobile Flood Response Project
The winning team, composed of Ahlay Hussain (H’27), Naya Karam (H’26), and Samantha Suggs (C’27), presented a project titled XXX.
Their proposal focused on a mobile intervention clinic integrated with emergency medical services alert systems to reach residents unable to leave their homes during flooding. Recognizing that pregnant people may face heightened barriers to evacuation, the team included emergency birth kits and prenatal monitoring tools for use during disasters.
They also proposed an AI-supported application to guide dispatch decisions during flooding, including route planning and responder deployment.
“Working in an interdisciplinary team helped us bridge gaps in our proposed solution,” Hussain said. “The best parts of our solution came out of moments where we had to reconcile different ways of framing the same problem.”
Preparing Future Health Professionals
The INSPIRE Case Challenge launched in spring 2025 with a case focused on wildfires in California. Since its launch, the program has expanded to include residents and fellows from MedStar Health and now also serves as preparation for the annual DC Public Health Case Challenge.
“Each case challenges students to think beyond the classroom and imagine real-world solutions,” Pamela Biernacki, DNP, assistant dean for innovation and program development at the Berkley School of Nursing. “As the program grows, we hope it will continue to equip future health professionals with the confidence and experience to respond effectively when real emergencies arise.”
The next INSPIRE Case Challenge will focus on the U.S.-Mexico border.