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Best Practice - Summit County Health District Surveys Clear Channel Listeners
The Summit County Health District (SCHD) combined its emergency preparedness marketing campaign with a survey to generate data about preparedness in the area. The campaign ran from April to October 2007.
Partnering with Clear Channel radio, SCHD posted public service announcements on several Web sites along with a link allowing online listeners to respond to a survey. Once the survey link was removed, preparedness information remained.
The survey was posted again in October, and more than 6,000 online listeners completed it. The SCHD survey results, summary and public service announcement are below.
For more information about the campaign or survey results contact Kristi Kato.
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All Hazards Approach Can Sustain Preparedness Efforts
The federal government has formally adopted an all-hazards approach for preparedness through the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).
PAHPA emphasizes the importance the federal government places on public health preparedness efforts and designates the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the lead agency for federal public health and medical response to public health emergencies. PAHPA, adopted in December 2006, has several major program areas:
- Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and medical countermeasures.
- Grants.
- At-risk individuals.
- National health security strategy.
Click here to read the 2007 PAHPA progress report.
From the executive branch, the White House recently issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD – 21) on public health and medical preparedness. HSPD – 21 focuses on four critical preparedness components:
- Biosurveillance.
- Countermeasure distribution.
- Mass prophylaxis.
- Community resilience.
Click here to read the complete text of HSPD – 21.
The potential for an influenza (flu) pandemic has been covered heavily in the media during the past few years, but U.S. news coverage has dwindled in recent months.
Without news coverage keeping pandemic flu planning in the minds of the public, those working and encouraging others to prepare for a flu pandemic have more challenges. Still, federal, state and local governments are continuing the important work of preparing. An all-hazards approach may be needed to make pandemic flu planning relevant to the public.
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Pan Flu Resources
Pandemic Flu Education Materials
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has produced a 12-minute DVD which follows a family through the beginning of a pandemic. It is available for order at no charge. Click here to download a form to place your order. Quantities are limited, so please place your order soon. Other materials are available for download from our publication library.
Business Planning Resources
The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has developed educational outreach and planning materials for businesses. ODH has registered for the materials and they are available below. Click here if you would like to register your organization and obtain the materials directly from EDEN or view other educational materials.
CDC Take the Lead Web site
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a new Web site, Take the Lead, that urges a grassroots approach to planning for an influenza pandemic. Tools such as talking points and sample e-mails are available for those who may have begun planning to urge others to begin the process.
Working with People with Disabilities - A Guide for Responders
A 26-minute training DVD produced in cooperation with the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities is designed to help personnel from emergency medical services, fire, police and other agencies work effectively and compassionately with people with disabilities. The DVD is available at no charge for training purposes. E-mail James M. Korn if interested.
Web site – Pandemic practices
The Web site Promising Practices: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Tools has more than 130 peer-reviewed pandemic preparedness practices compiled by the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy and the Pew Center on the States that highlight approaches to address three key areas: altering standards of clinical care, communicating effectively and delaying and diminishing the impact of a pandemic. Ohio has five practices posted.
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CDC Public Health Leaders Visit Ohio
Ohio recently became one of a small number of states to receive an on-site visit from the director of the federal program providing billions of dollars in public health preparedness funds to states.
Dr. Richard Besser, director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and his staff came to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to hear from state and local public health officials on the status of Ohio’s efforts and to provide information and insight about programs at the federal level.
It is through COTPER that the CDC has released about $17.2 million in pandemic flu preparedness funds since 2005. This funding has bolstered public health’s capacity to plan and prepare for what experts predict is an eventual pandemic of influenza. The last severe pandemic in 1918-1919 killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. There were additional but less severe pandemics in 1957 and 1968.
ODH staff and representatives from several local health departments provided Besser with a detailed presentation on joint local-state efforts including enhanced disease investigating and reporting capability. These actions would be crucial during the early days of a pandemic, giving public health a mechanism to monitor the spread of the disease.
ODH Director Alvin D. Jackson, M.D., welcomed the group and aided in the discussion. Terry Allan, Cuyahoga County health commissioner, represented local health departments and presented accomplishments and challenges from the local health department’s viewpoint.
In addition, the meeting covered how shifting preparedness from emergency work to public health is occurring; how the current grant processes operate; and how the use of performance measures may assist agencies better determine the effects of their efforts.
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Exercises Continue
ODH Exercise
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) conducted a pandemic influenza tabletop exercise Sept. 25, 2007 to discuss the pandemic influenza response plan and to provide a forum for discussion for personnel identified as having a key role in the Incident Command System.
CDC Exercise
ODH participated in a national exercise with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug. 14-16, 2007. ODH provided realism to the CDC exercise, assisted with exercise control function, and used the opportunity to review ODH plans for pandemic influenza. Two ODH staff served as simulators at the CDC campus in Atlanta.
PIO Exercise
State public information officers (PIO) gathered Aug. 14, 2007 for a pandemic flu functional exercise. PIOs from the Ohio departments of Aging, Agriculture, Commerce, Health, Mental Health, Public Safety, Rehabilitation and Corrections and Transportation and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, State Fire Marshal Office and School Facilities Commission participated.
Several local health departments including Cleveland Department of Public Health, Washington County Health Department, Union County Health Department and the Summit County Health Department had representatives observe.
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