Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Veronica M. Aberle, MSN, RNPeoria City/County Health Department

vaberle@peoriacounty.org

Sarah Buller Fenton, MS, RNCTazewell County Health Department

sfenton@idphnet.com

Laurie Schierer MSWoodford County Health Department

lschierer@bromenn.org

Peoria County 183,000

Tazewell County 128,000

Woodford County 36,000

Total 347,000

Tri-County AreaPopulation

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Peoria County Demographics

Urban Rural Mix

City of Peoria: 112,000

County Total: 183,000

Population: 79% white, 16% African-American, 2% Hispanic, 1.7% Asian and 1.3% other

4 municipalities; 18 independent school districts

Home to 2 research/ teaching medical centers, a Children’s Hospital and a community hospital

Peoria has four Colleges of Nursing; undergraduate and graduate

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Tazewell County DemographicsRural /urban Mix

City of Pekin: 33,857; East Peoria: 22, 638; Morton: 15,198

County Total: 128,000

Population: 97% white, .9% African-American,1% Hispanic, .5% Asian and .6% other

2 Community Hospitals

Woodford County Demographics Rural County

City of Eureka: 4,871

County Total: 36,000

Population: 98.5% white, .3% African American, .7% Hispanic, .3% Asian and .2% other

Health Department contractually operated by BroMenn Health Care

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Regional Health ServicesOSF St. Francis Medical Center

Methodist Medical Medical Center

Proctor Hospital

Pekin Hospital

Eureka Community Hospital

University of Illinois Colleges of Medicine and Nursing

American Red Cross

Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford Health Departments

Advanced Medical Transport ( EMS)

PH Regional Response Planner & Epidemiologist

Established Partners for Health

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Government Partnerships

Illinois River Valley Council of Governments

Mayors

County Boards

ESDA Directors

FBI, Police and Fire Chiefs Associations

Illinois Air Guard 5th Civil Support Team

USDA Research Laboratory

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

January, 2000 Hoax Anthrax Threat Peoria Planned Parenthood

June, 2000 Peoria Area Task Force on Weapons of Mass Destruction Medical Subcommittee

March, 2001IEMA – Illinois Terrorism Threat Assessment

February, 2002Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition

March 6, 2002Community Leaders Meeting

Beginnings

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Mission …”through planning, to coordinate the

response … to protect the lives and property of

the citizens.”

Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

• Unique Partnership: Plan-Train-Exercise-RespondCross Jurisdictional Public/Private Partnership

• Organized Under Leadership of ESDA Directors

• Six standing Committees-First Responders Support ServicesMedical/Public HealthPublic Information

Officers Communications Executive

Focus AreasFunding

Planning

Training

Equipment

Coordinated Response

Resources

Communications

Notification and Procedures

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

WMD Medical/Public Health Committee

• Recognition of Public Health as First Responder

• Establish Role of Public Health in Disaster Response

• Goals and objectives focused on education, training, equipment for HazMat, pre-hospital and hospital

• Public Health link to pharmacies to establish prophylaxis plan (state and national stockpile)

• Training and Exercise

• Communications cooperation among partners

• System to monitor readiness

Initial Challenges

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee

Public Health’s Initial Priorities 2002

Medication/Prophylaxis Distribution

Workforce Development/Staff Training

Surveillance Systems

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee

June, 2002

• Change of Focus: Public Health planning takes priority.

• Committee to be chaired by a hospital representative and a public health representative.

• Reviewed goals and objectives

• Identified areas for discussion and action

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Discussion Items –

Planning, training, education

Exercises, drills

Environmental sampling

Response teams – IMERT, MRC

Public information

Public Health/Medical Committee

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee

Action Items -

Resources for nursing/professional support

Regional Cooperation

Mutual Aid Agreements

Exercises and drills

Utilization of Illinois and National stockpiles

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

HRSA Grant submitted on behalf of Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition by the American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter- 2002

Recruit, train, organize and exercise professional volunteers

Support community needs:

Strategic National Stockpile Deployment

Public Health Emergencies

Public Education on Preparedness

Medical Reserve CorpsResources to Support Public Health

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

“Together We Prepare”

Community Education Disaster Preparedness

Public Education: American Red Cross

Focus on families and business:Preparation of Home and familyContinuity of business operations

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Information

Cooperative Efforts

• Public Information Officers of Public

Health,

Hospitals and American Red Cross

Planned Coordinated Response

with media

• Joint News Conferences:

Anthrax Threat

Pre-event smallpox

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Coordinated plans, procedures and training

Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers

Utilize Shared Resources

Target Special Populations

Schools and Day Care

Pediatric Prophylaxis Protocols

Children & Adults with Special Needs

Pre-event Community Education

Public Health Emergencies

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee

Regional Cooperation

• Hospitals

• PH-Regional Response Planning Area

• Pre-event smallpox vaccination program Mock Smallpox Clinic

• Mutual aid agreements Peoria City/County Health Department Tazewell County Health Department Woodford County Health Department

• Surveillance and SNS subcommittees

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

• Hospital & Community Pharmacists

• Single Agency Plans

• Regional Public Health Plans

• Regional Multi-Agency/Cross Jurisdictional Plan

Public Health/Medical Committee

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Current InitiativesDOJ Threat Assessment Fall 2003

Collaborative Grant Plan Submitted on Behalf of an expanded 5 county coalition includes:

Equipment, PPE and training plans to be used across

first responder disciplines i.e. Incident Command/Unified Command, Forensic Epidemiology, Cross-system communication

Surveillance Committee: Hospitals (Infection Control) and Health Departments targeting system issues surrounding communication, reporting and isolation and quarantine

Web-based regional exercise, SARS scenario, 5/27/04

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Strengths of Partnerships• Maximize the resources/skills of each

partner

• Unique partnership maintains local controland builds trust among diverse partners

• Promote goals and objectives across the communities

• Grant Awards:Project ImpactMedical Reserve CorpsHomeland Security

• Funding Opportunities in Partnership

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Coming together is a beginning,

Staying together is progress,

And working together is success.

-Henry Ford

Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness