The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #55761

J. David Piposzar, MPH, Center for Public Health Preparedness, University of Pittsburgh, 3109 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Peggy Mott, American Red Cross, 218 A Howe Street, Point Pleasant, NJ 08742, 732-295-3931, mottp@usa.redcross.org, and Robert Skertich, American Red Cross, Pittsburgh Chapter, 225 Blvd. of Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15230.

Enhancing community disaster and bioterrorism preparedness: Many experts believe that a biological incident has the potential to significantly overwhelm the health and medical capabilities of most U.S. cities. A major obstacle facing emergency managers is that most communities have limited ability to expand health and medical capacity using the existing infrastructure. This presentation examines the mutually supporting roles of public health and the American Red Cross and a collaborative training initiative featuring the partnering of an Academic Center for Public Health Preparedness and the American Red Cross. Workforce training is designed to rapidly augment the healthcare delivery system through establishment of Neighborhood Emergency Health Centers in every community in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Based on an all-hazards approach to emergency planning and preparedness, community education, training, and exercise programs have been designed to develop the necessary leadership skills to convene appropriate stakeholders to plan, organize, and mobilize both volunteer and professional resources to respond to mass casualty events. Training exercises that test a community’s ability to rapidly set-up, staff, and make each center fully operational within 12 hours of notification are also discussed. The project has direct benefits in terms of public health workforce development, community–based healthcare delivery, disaster readiness, and improved communications and linkages between public health, public safety, emergency management, hospital, and home-healthcare delivery systems.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• 1)Describe the mutually supportive roles of local public health agenices and the American Red Cross in delivering emergency public health services.
• 2)Access tools to mobilize and organize community volunteers and health professionals around a common mission
• 3)Identify workforce leadership development skills required to establish neighborhood emergency help centers.
• 4)Establish a linkage between an academic preparedness center and the community to deliver a needed public health service.

Keywords: Training, Workforce

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.