Preparedness
The ASTHO preparedness
program helps strengthen our nation's public health and healthcare system
preparedness and response by identifying and prioritizing policy and
programmatic needs of state and territorial public health agencies, and through
collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.
Preparedness Policy Statement
Preparedness Policy Committee
The
various work of ASTHO to advance public health preparedness, outlined below, is
informed by the Public Health Preparedness Policy Committee, which analyzes
public health and health system preparedness issues to produce recommendations
for state-based public health policy. The committee’s deliberations and
recommendations will be operationalized to assist members in developing
preparedness activities and in integrating preparedness efforts with existing
state‐based public health programs.
Mission Statement
2017 Priorities and Action Plans
Preparedness Resources
ASTHO offers
guidance, resources, and webinars on a variety of public health preparedness
topics.
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Health Security Surveillance
ASTHO, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Health Affairs (DHS/OHA), works to provide analysis and recommendations on key preparedness policies, facilitates collaboration between public health, homeland security, and emergency management communities and educates its members on key issues relevant to the homeland security enterprise.
Healthcare System Preparedness
Healthcare system preparedness involves the work done everyday to help
build and sustain the nation's preparedness and response infrastructure to
respond to mass casualty events and catastrophic emergencies. ASTHO, in
collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's
National Healthcare Preparedness Program (ASPR/NHPP), works with state and
territorial health departments to enhance the capacities and capabilities of
their healthcare systems.
The Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando, Florida: A Peer Assessment of Preparedness Activities' Impact on the Public Health and Medical Response
This document summarizes the public health and medical preparedness activities that supported the response to the June 12, 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. It also explores preparedness program gaps brought to light during the response. This report is based on information gathered from an Orlando site visit conducted January 11-12, 2017 by two peer assessors and several subsequent conference calls with key responders.
Public Health Emergency Law
The Law can
be a powerful tool to help accelerate and enhance responses to public health
emergencies such as bioterrorism or pandemic influenza. ASTHO, in conjunction
with CDC, has developed resources for public health practitioners, legal
counsel, and government officials to assist in education, training, and planning
activities on the effective use of relevant laws, regulations, and other legal
doctrines in responding to public health emergencies to achieve greater
protection of the public’s health and safety.
The ASTHO Social Distancing Law Project has produced two practical,
field-tested tools to assess jurisdictional legal preparedness for pandemic
influenza:
Radiation Emergencies
National Alliance for Radiation ReadinessSince 2011, ASTHO
has served as the leader of the National Alliance for Radiation Readiness
(NARR), a coalition of 17 public health, healthcare, and emergency management
organizations that represent practitioners in the field of radiation readiness.
NARR is dedicated to enhancing America’s radiological preparedness capability
and capacity in the public health and health care systems by improving the
nation's ability to prepare, respond, and recover from radiological emergencies
at the local, state, and national levels.
Visit the NARR
clearinghouse website for more information »
Medical Countermeasures Management and Dispensing
Flu on CallFlu on Call® is a collaborative effort between ASTHO, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This project seeks to improve public access to antiviral medications and lessen surge on healthcare facilities during an influenza pandemic. In the event of a severe pandemic, a national network of phone lines, Flu on Call®, has been developed that can be used to provide information and triage callers. This network of call centers engages United Way 2-1-1 help lines, poison control centers, and nurse advice lines. Callers will be assessed by healthcare providers via phone and given information as well as directed to appropriate care sites, e.g. hospital, clinic, etc.
Read more »
Volunteer and Emergency Management
ASTHO assists NACCHO build and enhance relationships between state and
local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units with the goal of increasing the capacity
of MRC units through statewide initiatives. ASTHO also collaborates with the
National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) in the development of public
health and medical EMAC Mission Ready Packages (MRPs) for disaster recovery and
response.
Other Initiatives
Directors of Public Health Preparedness Meeting
Each year, ASTHO hosts the Directors of Public Health Preparedness Meeting,
which brings together representatives from the states, directly funded cities,
and territories, as well as partner organizations and federal partners.
National Health Security
Preparedness Index™
On December 4, 2013, the National Health Security
Preparedness Index (NHSPI; the Index) was officially introduced to the public as
a first-of-its-kind tool used to measure and advance the nation's readiness to
protect people during a disaster. The Index offers a snapshot of national
preparedness to demonstrate progress and identify areas where greater
improvement is needed.
The NHSPI examines the health security
preparedness of the nation by looking collectively at the health security
preparedness of states. The Index results are updated annually.