Dr. H. Wayne Nelson is as associate professor of health care administration in the Department of Health Science. He has over sixteen years experience as Deputy Director of a government agency involved in overseeing Oregon’s long-term care system and was a personal assistant to Oregon Governor Victor Ateyeh in the early 1980s.
His Ph.D. is from Oregon State University (1993) and he is a Fellow of the Social Research and Public Policy section of the Gerontological Society of America and a Summer Fellow for the National Institute on Aging, Summer Institute on Aging Research. His interests now focus on disaster preparedness for special needs populations. He has published numerous articles in leading scientific journals, including, most recently, two articles on “medical aspects of disaster preparedness and surge medical support in the Department of Defense’s Joint Center for Operational Analysis Journal (Vo. IX (2), 11-27; 42-55).
Dr. Nelson recently co-authored one book and has another on the way (both on advocacy and conflict management). He is also listed in the 2007 and 2008 editions of the Marquis Who’s Who in America.
Colonel (MD) Nelson is currently Deputy Commander of the 10th (MDDF) Medical Regiment (10MEDRGT) of the Military Department of Maryland, and Director and Point of Contact for the Maryland Defense Force’s Baltimore County Medical Emergency Volunteers. The latter is a state military department sponsored (with Towson University) Medical Reserve Corps registered with the office of the Surgeon General.
On 30 August 2005 he was directed by the State Adjutant General through Special Order 05-01 to activate the (now) 10MEDRGT to respond to Katrina in Operation Lifeline. This military task force eventually treated over 6,500 patients in five abandoned facilities in Jefferson Parish LA. Nelson earned the National Guard’s Maryland Meritorious Service Meal (as well as the State Active Duty Meal and Emergency Service Ribbon) for providing extensive liaison with other government agencies involved in public health, emergency service and homeland security in the period immediately preceding and through this crisis.
Dr. Nelson also serves on a number of Emergency Service related committees:
- Academic Advisor, Academic Qualifications, Military Emergency Management Special Program for the State Guard Association of the United States (2004 - present).
- Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services Board: the advisory committee for Geriatric Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee(GEMSAC) & Sub-committee for Long Term Care
- Baltimore County Emergency Management Task Force
- Towson University Homeland Security Group.
Towson University Crisis Response Group
