Healthcare

9781284151619_SLID_CH13.ppt

Chapter 13

Public Health Preparedness Policy

Chapter Overview
(1 of 2)

Describes what public health preparedness is and the scope of events that can lead to a public health emergency
Describes the threats from and history of the use of weapons of mass destruction

Chapter Overview
(2 of 2)

Defines public health threats from biological agents and naturally occurring diseases
Describes the key federal, state, and local policies and laws that support public health preparedness and the infrastructure that has been built to support preparedness activities at the federal, state, and local levels

Defining Public Health Preparedness
(1 of 3)

“[P]ublic health emergency preparedness . . . is the capability of the public health and health care systems, communities, and individuals, to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from health emergencies, particularly those whose scale, timing, or unpredictability threatens to overwhelm routine capabilities. Preparedness involves a coordinated and continuous process of planning and implementation that relies on measuring performance and taking corrective action.” – RAND Corporation

Defining Public Health Preparedness
(2 of 3)

Public health emergencies fit into four basic categories:
Intentional or accidental release of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agent
Natural epidemics or pandemics, which may involve a novel, emerging infectious disease, a re-emerging agent, or a previously controlled disease, or may occur in areas with limited infrastructure or resources
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, or fires
Manmade environmental disasters, such as oil spills

Defining Public Health Preparedness
(3 of 3)

The World Health Organization’s Revised International Health Regulations define a public health emergency of international concern as “an extraordinary event which is determined . . . to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response.”
Such an emergency can involve any of the four types of public health events, as long as it has the potential to cross borders.

Public Health Preparedness Policy
(1 of 4)

While government officials have long been aware of public health emergencies and the need for coordinated action to detect, report, and respond appropriately, the U.S. preparedness infrastructure did not truly take shape until after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The two initial, significant organizational changes:
Establishment of the federal Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council within the White House
Creation of the Department of Homeland Security

Public Health Preparedness Policy
(2 of 4)

In addition to the creation of DHS, many existing government departments and agencies established new offices, expanded existing ones, and redirected resources toward preparedness and homeland security.
The following agencies and offices are most directly linked to public health preparedness policy at the federal level:

– Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
and Response

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Public Health Preparedness Policy
(3 of 4)

– National Institutes of Health

– Food and Drug Administration

– Department of Agriculture

– Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of
Investigation

– Department of Defense

Public Health Preparedness Policy
(4 of 4)

These agencies and offices are charged with enforcing many statutes, regulations, and policy guidance documents that form the foundation of public health preparedness.

Public Health Preparedness Federalism
(1 of 3)

Public health preparedness requires cooperation among multiple levels of government.
Public health professionals recognize that most public health activities occur at the local and state level.
This is codified by the 10th Amendment of the Constitution: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Public Health Preparedness Federalism
(2 of 3)

States have a responsibility for developing their own emergency preparedness plans, and all have some level of planning and preparedness training in place.

Public Health Preparedness Federalism
(3 of 3)

Preparedness efforts at the state level focus on the unique threats, challenges, assets, and populations specific to particular jurisdictions. States that are subject to relatively more frequent hurricanes may have well-developed plans to address that particular hazard, while landlocked states far from oceans may have better-developed plans for other disasters. States will also take into account the particular demographics of their region when planning how to address vulnerable populations, nursing homes, and schools in emergencies.