Barriers to Meeting Community Needs in New York State during COVID-19: Results From a Pilot Survey of Nongovernmental Population and Community Health Professionals

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110654
Author(s):  
Renata Schiavo ◽  
Mayela Arana ◽  
Nicole Levy ◽  
Yesenia Grijalva ◽  
Sarah Ravenhall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New York State ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Local Health Departments ◽  
York State ◽  
And Training

Capacity building and training help empower the community and population health organizations to partner with local health departments and collaboratively design multisectoral interventions that account for the complexity of public health and health promotion challenges in the era of COVID-19 and beyond. Ideally, training programs should be informed by an understanding of the needs and priorities of the professionals for whom they are intended. This brief report focuses on the results of a pilot online survey conducted as part of a larger pilot study by the New York State Association of County Health Officials and the Region 2 Public Health Training Center among population and community health professionals (n = 27) from four counties in New York State during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey participants included a diverse group of staff members from various large and small nonprofit organizations, federally qualified health centers, academic institutions, hospitals, and insurers. Survey findings provide preliminary insights into the extent to which these organizations have been involved in the COVID-19 response in partnership with LHDs, barriers they faced in responding to the needs of the populations they serve and adjusting their work routines/operations to COVID-19 guidelines, and their top emerging organizational and training needs. Lessons learned from conducting an online survey during a public health emergency and implications for future training interventions for population and community health professionals are also discussed within the context of promoting multisectoral collaboration with local health departments, solving complex public health problems, and advancing health equity.

Survey of New York Veterinarians to Assess Needs for Public Health Preparedness Training

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-305
Author(s):  
June Beckman-Moore ◽  
Millicent Eidson ◽  
Lindsay Ruland
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
New York State ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
York State ◽  
State And Local

ABSTRACTObjective: Because most bioterrorist disease agents are zoonotic, veterinarians are important partners in preparedness. New York State is a prime port of entry and has a network of health and emergency management agencies for response. However, knowledge and participation by veterinarians has not yet been assessed.Methods: A 25-question survey was mailed out to approximately half (1832) of the veterinarians licensed in New York State. Participants were asked about past emergency preparedness training, likelihood of participating in future training, preferred training topics, and their relationship with their local health department (LHD).Results: Completed questionnaires were received from 529 veterinarians (29%). Most (83%) reported that they were likely to participate in emergency preparedness training, but in the past 2 years, only 14% received training in zoonotic disease outbreaks and 12% in emergency preparedness. Only 21% reported having a relationship with their LHD, but 48% were interested in having one. Lack of time was the biggest obstacle to involvement with the LHD (40%). Most (69%) of those responding to the survey said they would participate in training once per year or more often.Conclusions: Inducements, such as earning continuing education credits, or the development of active networks of preparedness organizations, state and local health departments, and veterinary schools are needed to deliver emergency preparedness training and information efficiently to veterinarians.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:300-305)

New York State Public Health System Response to Hurricane Sandy: An Analysis of Survey Feedback

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asante Shipp Hilts ◽  
Stephanie Mack ◽  
Yunshu Li ◽  
Millicent Eidson ◽  
Trang Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
System Response ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Local Health ◽  
York State ◽  
Public Health Staff

AbstractObjectiveThe objective was to provide a broad spectrum of New York State and local public health staff the opportunity to contribute anonymous feedback on their own and their agencies’ preparedness and response to Hurricane Sandy, perceived challenges, and recommendations for preparedness improvement.MethodsIn 2015, 2 years after Hurricane Sandy, public health staff who worked on Hurricane Sandy response were identified and were provided a link to the anonymous survey. Quantitative analyses were used for survey ratings and qualitative content analyses were used for open-ended questions.ResultsSurveys were completed by 129 local health department (LHD) staff in 3 counties heavily impacted by Sandy (Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester) and 69 staff in the New York State Department of Health who supported the LHDs. Staff agreed that their Hurricane Sandy responsibilities were clearly defined and that they had access to adequate information to perform their jobs. Challenges were reported in the operational, communication, service interruptions, and staff categories, with LHD staff also reporting challenges with shelters.ConclusionsNew York local and state public health staff indicated that they were prepared for Hurricane Sandy. However, their feedback identified specific challenges and recommendations that can be addressed to implement improved preparedness and response strategies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:454–462)

Drug Education—Better Late Than Never

1971 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Sinacore
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Health Education ◽  
New York State ◽  
Drug Education ◽  
Education Department ◽  
York State ◽  
State Education ◽  
State Education Department

Recognizing that problems arising from human ecology do not represent medical failure so much as educational failure, and that prevention is cheaper in the long run than rehabilitation, the New York State Education Department is implementing a course of study in the Health Sciences incorporating knowledge from the disciplines of medical science and public health, aimed at prevention through education. Curriculum materials for 4th grade through high school, developed by the State Education Department, deal initially with the nature and proper use of drugs as a basis for understanding drug abuse. Drug education, to be effective as a drug abuse deterrent, should be taught by a well prepared health education teacher within the context of health education which touches on areas of mental health, physical health, consumer health, public health, safety and pharmacology. Intensive teacher training programs are underway in six institutions of higher education in New York State to prepare teachers licensed in other educational areas to fulfill state certification requirements in health education. Additional teachers are being trained to teach inservice courses in their own districts; their $600 salary per 30 hour course taught is paid by the State Education Department. The goal is to reach 7500 teachers during this school year. The program participants are brought into contact with consultants from many related fields. A learn-by-doing method is utilized involving group processes and activities designed to encourage individuals to become responsible for their own learning and the learning of others.

How Community and Public Health Partnerships Contribute to Disaster Recovery and Resilience

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 635-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joie D. Acosta ◽  
Lane Burgette ◽  
Anita Chandra ◽  
David P. Eisenman ◽  
Ingrid Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Storm Damage ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Community Needs

AbstractObjectiveTo summarize ways that networks of community-based organizations (CBO), in partnership with public health departments, contribute to community recovery from disaster.MethodsThe study was conducted using an online survey administered one and 2 years after Hurricane Sandy to the partnership networks of 369 CBO and the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The survey assessed the structure and durability of networks, how they were influenced by storm damage, and whether more connected networks were associated with better recovery outcomes.ResultsDuring response and recovery, CBOs provide an array of critical public health services often outside their usual scope. New CBO partnerships were formed to support recovery, particularly in severely impacted areas. CBOs that were more connected to other CBOs and were part of a long-term recovery committee reported greater impacts on the community; however, a partnership with the local health department was not associated with recovery impacts.ConclusionCBO partners are flexible in their scope of services, and CBO partnerships often emerge in areas with the greatest storm damage, and subsequently the greatest community needs. National policies will advance if they account for the dynamic and emergent nature of these partnerships and their contributions, and clarify the role of government partners. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:635–643)

COVID-19 Case Rates After Surveillance and Vaccinations in a Statewide Psychiatric Hospital System

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (10) ◽  
pp. 1780-1783
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Smith ◽  
Ian T. Rodgers ◽  
Daniel J. Silverman ◽  
Sally R. Dreslin ◽  
Mark Olfson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Rapid Testing ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Hospital System ◽  
York State ◽  
Case Rate

Individuals with serious mental illness are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health implemented patient and staff rapid testing, quarantining, and vaccination to limit COVID-19 spread in 23 state-operated psychiatric hospitals between November 2020 and February 2021. COVID-19 infection rates in inpatients and staff decreased by 96% and 71%, respectively, and the NYS population case rate decreased by 6%. Repeated COVID-19 testing and vaccination should be priority interventions for state-operated psychiatric hospitals. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(10):1780–1783. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306444 )

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