Public Health Emergency Response
|
|
|
|
Accomplishments
What we have accomplished since receiving these funds:
1. Planning and Response:
- The health department is available 24/7 for public health emergencies.
- The PH-ERC participates in countywide and region-wide planning groups to coordinate and integrate local health department planning for responding to bioterrorism events, natural occurring disasters, new and emerging infectious diseases, and disease outbreaks with other preparedness activities.
- In April 2003, President Bush’s Smallpox Vaccination Initiative was implemented
- PH-ERC has written and coordinated the health department plan with the state plan to accept the prophylactic medications from Strategic Pharmaceutical Stockpile and/or Illinois Pharmaceutical Stockpile.
2. Information Technology:
- Broadband high-speed Internet is now available for health department staff.
- A secure Internet connection between Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department for transmission of confidential information has been established.
- A health department Web page was established for public to access information.
3. Continuing Education:
- The health department established training for the personnel of Madison County Health Department and the health departments of surrounding counties on how to administer smallpox. In addition, training was also provided for all of Madison County hospital infection disease personnel.
- Health department staff is receiving education via any number of methodologies such as satellite, internet, and traditional classroom.
4. Epidemiology (study of the occurrence and distribution of disease):
- Madison County’s PH-ERC and LEED has been active on the Illinois National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (I-NEDSS) Advisory Panel. This system will soon allow disease reporting to be done over a secure Internet line that will speed reporting, consequently speeding up the process of public health interventions and reducing the spread of disease in some situations. In addition, identifying trends in disease will be more accurate and efficient.
- A new staff member was hired early in 2003 to fill the role of Local Epidemiologist Expansion Detail (LEED).