Public Health Preparedness

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Public Health Preparedness

• Summer Institute for Public Health Practice
• August 4, 2003

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Tools for the Frontline A National
PerspectiveMary C. Selecky, Secretary of
HealthASTHO President
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The Department of Health works to protect and
improve the health of people in Washington state.
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Main Jobs of a Public Health System

• Disease prevention
• Protection from environmental hazard
• Injury prevention
• Promotion of healthy behaviors
• Disaster response
• Health services access

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Bioterrorism
Emergency Preparedness
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THE PUBLIC HEALTH NETWORK

• Local and state partners
• local health jurisdictions (county and regional)
• state health department
• state board of health
• school of public health (University of
  Washington)
• other state agencies (Ecology, Social Health
  Services, etc.)

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THE PUBLIC HEALTH NETWORK

• National partners
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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Everyday Public Health Practice

• WEST NILE VIRUS
• E. COLI
• CHOLERA
• SALMONELLA

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Prepare for High Risk Agents

• PLAGUE
• ANTHRAX
• BOTULISM
• SMALLPOX
• VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS
• TULAREMIA

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TOPOFF 2 - Seattle

• Immediate information needed
• Some detailed
• Some sound bites

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Emergency preparedness

• Federal funding
• Emergency management system
• Preparation
• Commitment to extinguishing the threats to our
  health

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ASTHO Preparedness Project

• ASTHO Association of State and Territorial
  Health Officials
• Develop and recommend ASTHO policy positions
• Identify and promote optimal training of state
  public health workforce
• Promote communication and information sharing
  among state health agencies

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ASTHO Preparedness Project

• Identify and promote opportunities for enhanced
  communication and information sharing
• Promote collaboration among state health agencies
  and non-governmental entities
• Monitor and analyze emerging federal legislative
  proposals

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Community Coordination

• Partnerships between public health and
• Clinicians and health care facilities
• Law enforcement
• Public safety fire, HAZMAT
• Emergency management
• EMS-Emergency Medical Services
• Coordinate response across agencies at the local,
  state, and federal levels

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RESOURCES www.astho.org

• Web casts Keeping your Head in a Crisis -
  Responding to the Communication Challenges Posed
  by Bioterrorism
• ASTHO Risk Communication Workbook
• Preparedness Assessment Tools
• Bioterrorism State Performance Standards

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National Responders

• Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Department of Homeland Security
• FBI
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Defense

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State and Local Responders

• Health care providers and facilities
• Local and state health departments
• Emergency management agencies
• Search and Rescue, EMS, and HAZMAT teams

• Law enforcement, National Guard
• Political leaders
• Community service organizations
• Volunteers

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9-11 Lessons Learned

• Consistent messages
• Establish roles
• Establish relationships

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Lessons Learned

• Credible threats
• How to handle suspicious packages

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Educating the Public

• Language and cultural issues
• Consistency and accuracy
• Fast facts
• Media relations

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Bioterrorism pales beside what nature can do.
There are thousands of viruses out there ready to
move into a new host as we compress the world. -
Robert Webster, St. Jude Childrens Research
Hospital U.S. News World Report, June 23, 2003

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SARS Experience State and Local Implications
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Epidemic in the Global Village

• Bioterrorism preparedness funding
• Great progress to enhance public health capacity,
  more needs to be done
• All levels international, federal, state, local
  worked cooperatively
• Obstacle Serious workforce shortage

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Welcome to Washington

• International trade
• International border
• International travelers many from Asia
• Asian and Pacific Islander population 11
  Seattle-area, 5.5 statewide
  

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Multiple pathways

• NORTH British Columbia, Canada
• WEST Puget Sound seaports
• SOUTH Columbia River seaports
• Major airports
• Military bases

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A Washington port experience
Port of Tacoma
Washington State Department of Ecology
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Emergency PreparednessFOCUS AREAS

• 1. Planning And Emergency Response
• 2. Surveillance And Epidemiology
• 3. Lab Capacity
• 4. Secure I.T. Systems / Health Alert Network
• 5. Communications
• 6. Education / Training

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Public health requirements

• Long-term commitment
• Flexibility in federal model
• Partnerships

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Answers to your questions

• www.doh.wa.gov
• mary.selecky_at_doh.wa.gov