Newsletter Fall 2004

ASPH Partners with CDC and HRSA on National Preparedness Meetings

In late September the Preparedness Education & Training: Where We Are summit convened in Atlanta. The event brought together over 250 individuals working in preparedness education and training including governmental public health workers, clinicians and educators from schools of Public Health, and other academic institutions across the nation.

The participants are involved in CDC (Centers for Disease Control)- and HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration )- funded terrorism preparedness education and training efforts and came together to meet three goals: (1) discuss terrorism preparedness education strategies and expectations for funded recipients; (2) discuss by regions/states to share available training resources and plans; and, (3) provide input to CDC and HRSA regarding several unresolved preparedness education issues, including preparedness competencies and the use of learning management systems for monitoring preparedness training.

Attendees heard from top CDC and HRSA officials, and were seated by state and DHHS geographic region so everyone had an opportunity to network and hold small-group discussions about key issues with colleagues.

Attendees had various opportunities for interactive dialogue with both federal agencies to address questions on current and future goals of the various programs, network and exchange resources with colleagues, and discuss common issues critical to preparedness educators. Deans Jim Curran (Emory Rollins School of Public Health), Peter Levin (University at Albany SUNY School of Public Health), and Dr. Rosa Perez-Perdomo (University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health) were in attendance for these discussions. Representatives from DHHS were also present for these meetings.

Following the Preparedness Education & Training meeting on Tuesday evening, the Centers for Public Health Preparedness Consultation Committee, formerly known as the ASPH Preparedness Advisory Committee, convened to discuss new purposes, goals and structure of the committee. Dean Jim Curran and Dean Jim Merchant (University of Iowa College of Public Health), chaired the meeting, which included Dean Levin and Dean Gary Raskob (University of Oklahoma College of Public Health), SPH CPHP (Centers for Public Health Preparedness) faculty representatives, CDC officials, and national partners from ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials), NACCHO (National Association of County and City Health Officials), and Association of Public Health Laboratories. The committee, charged with overseeing the work of the Centers for Public Health Preparedness, is in the process of revisiting its membership and its charge and will reconvene in November in Washington, DC during the ASPH annual meeting.

The second part of the week focused on convening all 42 CDC-funded Centers for Public Health Preparedness, 23 of which are in SPH and 19 of which are in other academic schools (e.g., Medicine, Veterinary, Law). The focus of this meeting was to articulate the goals for the new program year and to discuss how this large training group will operate as a coordinated network in order to achieve important national outcomes.

It was a long but productive week for those involved in preparedness education and training at SPH. As we pull together results of the meetings in the coming weeks, staff will post follow-up and additional information at http://www.asph.org/.

Have a question or comment? Email bioterr@slu.edu