Presenter Profile

Brent D. Kaziny, MD, MA

Brent D. Kaziny, MD, MA

Associate Professor
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Emergency Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Attending Physician, Emergency Center
Medical Director of Emergency Management
Texas Children's Hospital
bxkaziny@texaschildrens.org

Dr. Brent D. Kaziny completed his medical degree at the University of Texas – Houston, School of Medicine.  He started his pediatric intern year at the Tulane-Ochsner Pediatric Residency Program, where he received the Hurricane Katrina Code Grey Hero Award for his efforts caring for patients and assisting with the evacuation of Tulane Hospital during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  After completing his intern year, he transferred to Baylor College of Medicine, where he completed his residency training in general pediatrics. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  Upon completing fellowship, Dr. Kaziny took a position at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.  On a national level he serves as the Co-Director of the Disaster Domain for the Emergency Medical Services for Children – Innovations and Improvement Center, the Co-Lead of the Disaster Management Domain of the Pediatric Pandemic Network, the Vice-Chair of the AAP’s Council on Children and Disaster, and a voting member of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters.  At Texas Children’s Hospital he works in the Emergency Center and serves as the Medical Director of Emergency Management.  Dr. Kaziny is the Principal Investigator for the third pediatric disaster care center of excellence, the Gulf 7  Pediatric Disaster Network funded by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. 

Presentations

From Go Bags to Grand Plans: Protecting Children Through All Levels of Disaster Preparedness

Brent D. Kaziny, MD, MA

Part of session:
Keynote
Keynote Address
Friday, December 5, 2025, 8:15 AM to 9:15 AM
Description:

In this presentation, Dr. Kaziny will draw on his firsthand experience preparing for and responding to various types of disasters from hurricanes and winter storms, to pandemics and surge events.  This talk will explore the critical intersection of disaster preparedness and injury prevention with a focus on both the practical and the strategic.  The talk will take the audience on a journey from individual and family preparedness – think “go bags,” family reunification plans, and evacuation plans- to system-level initiatives related to maintaining healthcare delivery, communication, and response.  Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of the cascading impacts disasters have on child safety and well-being, along with concrete ideas for how we can prepare, prevent, and respond with purpose.

Objectives:

1. Describe the continuum of disaster preparedness strategies spanning from personal, community, and institutional levels.
2. Identify common gaps in barriers to pediatric disaster planning and response across healthcare systems and public health.
3. Apply key principles of disaster preparedness to injury prevention efforts.