The 2017 Hurricane Public Health Responses: Case Studies Illustrating the Role of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
DeAndrea Martinez ◽  
Kelcie A. Landon ◽  
Wesley McDermott ◽  
Joseph Roth ◽  
Amy Helene Schnall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Hurricane Season ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

ABSTRACT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR), Public Health Emergency Preparedness(PHEP) program funds 62 recipients to strengthen capability standards to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Recipients use these PHEP resources in addition to CDC’s administrative and scientific guidance to support preparedness and response program planning and requirements. It is expected that public health agencies develop and maintain comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plans in preparation for disasters such as hurricanes. The 2017 historic hurricane season highlighted how emergency planning and collaborative operational execution is important for public health agencies to effectively prepare for and respond to both the immediate and long-term population health consequences of these disasters. In 2017, the southeastern United States (US) and US Caribbean territories experienced 3 Category 4 or higher Atlantic hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, and Maria) within a 5-week period. This paper highlights selected case studies that illustrate the contributions and impact of jurisdictional emergency management planning and operational capacity supported by capability standards during the 2017 hurricane season. Although the magnitude of the 2017 hurricanes required public health officials to seek additional assistance, the following case studies describe the use of public health preparedness systems and recovery resources supported by the PHEP program.

Improving Information and Best Practices for Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 64-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel O’Brien ◽  
Clifford M. Rees ◽  
Ernest Abbott ◽  
Elisabeth Belmont ◽  
Amy Eiden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

This is one of four interrelated action agenda papers resulting from the National Summit on Public Health Legal Preparedness convened in June 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and nineteen multi-disciplinary partner organizations. Each of the action agenda papers deals with one of the four core elements of public health legal preparedness: laws and legal authorities; competency in using those laws; coordination of law-based public health actions; and information. Options presented in this paper are for consideration by policymakers and practitioners — in all jurisdictions and all relevant sectors and disciplines — with responsibilities for all-hazards emergency preparedness.This paper focuses on the fourth core element: information that can be used in shaping and applying law as a public health tool, specifically in the context of public health emergencies.

scholarly journals Description of the Use of the Incident Command System Among Public Health Agencies Responding to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-881
Author(s):  
Sarah Elizabeth Scales ◽  
◽  
Roxanna Fouladi ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
Health Agencies

The utilization of Incident Command Systems (ICS) and Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in public health emergency and disaster response are cornerstones of the capabilities prescribed for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP). To assess the use of ICS and EOCs by public health agencies during the COVID-19 response, we conducted a content analysis of online materials available from 62 health departments funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for PHEP. Bivariate associations between evidence of ICS utilization in COVID response were assessed using relative risk regression. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported. 58% (36 of 62) of PHEP grantees had accessible information regarding the use of ICS in COVID-19 public health response. PHEP grantees with online information about PHEP, Hospital Preparedness Program linkages, public health seats at state or jurisdictional EOCs, exercises, and ICS generally were more likely to have COVID-specific ICS information. COVID-19 has placed significant strain on the operational response capacity of public health agencies. Given that this is the most significant event in which PHEP Capabilities have been tested, both in terms of geographic spread and duration, assessment of both preparedness and response capacities is critical for recognizing strengths and addressing shortcomings to improve PHEP operations in future incidents.

Make a Kit, Make a Plan, Stay Informed: Using Social Marketing to Change the Population's Emergency Preparedness Behavior

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 47-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Marshall ◽  
Laurie Petrone ◽  
Mary Jo Takach ◽  
Shannon Sansonetti ◽  
Maria Wah-Fitta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness ◽  
The Difference

The population's response to a public health emergency can mean the difference between an incident and a tragedy. As the community's health educators, public health agencies promote “productive behaviors” to avoid panic during anxiety-producing situations. The Rhode Island Department of Health used a social marketing approach to identify the public's “wants and needs” in anticipation of an emergency. The formative research included age and race/ethnicity-specific focus groups and in-depth interviews with representatives of agencies serving special populations to determine information needs, preferred formats, trusted sources, and other aspects of emergency preparedness. Program staff used this information to design and bulk mail an initial pre-intervention awareness flyer and, months later, a 32-page informational booklet called “Make a Kit, Make a Plan, Stay Informed.” This “product” provided the population with three key preparedness behaviors out of the extensive range of options. Evaluation of the booklet indicated that an estimated 10% of the population changed their behavior by engaging in one of more of the preparedness activities. The authors conclude that social marketing provides a useful and systematic process for planning and implementing a project aimed at changing public health emergency preparedness behavior.

scholarly journals 18.H. Workshop: Bringing evidence during public health emergencies: addressing the challenge through HTA

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Emergency Preparedness And Response ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Abstract Evidence-based decision-making is central to public health. Implementing evidence-informed actions is most challenging during a public health emergency as in an epidemic, when time is limited, scientific uncertainties and political pressures tend to be high, and irrefutable evidence may be lacking. The process of including evidence in public health decision-making and for evidence-informed policy, in preparation, and during public health emergencies, is not systematic and is complicated by many barriers as the absences of shared tools and approaches for evidence-based preparedness and response planning. Many of today's public health crises are also cross-border, and countries need to collaborate in a systematic and standardized way in order to enhance interoperability and to implement coordinated evidence-based response plans. To strengthen the impact of scientific evidence on decision-making for public health emergency preparedness and response, it is necessary to better define mechanisms through which interdisciplinary evidence feeds into decision-making processes during public health emergencies and the context in which these mechanisms operate. As a multidisciplinary, standardized and evidence-based decision-making tool, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) represents and approach that can inform public health emergency preparedness and response planning processes; it can also provide meaningful insights on existing preparedness structures, working as bridge between scientists and decision-makers, easing knowledge transition and translation to ensure that evidence is effectively integrated into decision-making contexts. HTA can address the link between scientific evidence and decision-making in public health emergencies, and overcome the key challenges faced by public health experts when advising decision makers, including strengthening and accelerating knowledge transfer through rapid HTA, improving networking between actors and disciplines. It may allow a 360° perspective, providing a comprehensive view to decision-making in preparation and during public health emergencies. The objective of the workshop is to explore and present how HTA can be used as a shared and systematic evidence-based tool for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, in order to enable stakeholders and decision makers taking actions based on the best available evidence through a process which is systematic and transparent. Key messages There are many barriers and no shared mechanisms to bring evidence in decision-making during public health emergencies. HTA can represent the tool to bring evidence-informed actions in public health emergency preparedness and response.

scholarly journals From Anthrax to Zika: Fifteen Years of Public Health Emergency Preparedness

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (S2) ◽  
pp. S117-S117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Nonkin Avchen ◽  
Tanya Telfair LeBlanc ◽  
Christine Kosmos
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
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