 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Judy Lloyd Storfjell, Public Health Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 4720 E. Hillcrest Drive, Berrien Springs, MI 49103, 616-471-5050, jissa@aol.com, Paul Kuehnert, MS, RN, Director, Division of Disease Control, State of Maine, State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333-0011, and Anne Keith, RN, DrPH, C-PNP, College of Nursing, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St, PO box 9300, Portland, ME 04104.
The Maine Bureau of Health initiative to improve preparedness for events of public health significance including bioterrorism, identified development of the local public health infrastructure as one of its key strategies. In this rural state with a large geographic area and a small population, public health services have remained centralized, which allows for internal communication, planning and economies but leaves a gap between local communities and health system providers. Stakeholder groups working under the multi-year Turning Point initiative had already focused on the need for a local public health infrastructure.
As a result, the Division of Disease Control developed a logic model to identify the functions and competencies of decentralized regional epidemiology teams that would build community capacity, improve infectious disease (ID) reporting, and enhance early identification and response to health threats. Because of the broad scope of responsibilities, it was determined that experienced public health nurses (PHNs) would have the most necessary qualifications for developing the new population-focused epidemiology role, providing full-time leadership within their assigned communities and linking to a state-wide system of public health preparedness.
Regional PHN epidemiologists were selected based on the competency criteria and received a structured training program based on the needs identified by the logic model. A formative evaluation process was initiated based on the same logic model for the multi-disciplinary statewide program component that included these regional epidemiologists.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Roles
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Maine State Bureau of Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Project manager, consultant