July 13, 2005

Panhandle Health District Earns Public Health Emergency Preparedness Recognition

PHD one of just 14 agencies nationwide honored as "Public Health Ready"

Idaho recognized statewide

COEUR d'ALENE - Panhandle Health District has been recognized at a national level for its ability to respond to public health emergencies.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) honored PHD and just 13 other local public health agencies across the country as Public Health Ready for their ability to protect the public from bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and other public health threats.

All seven health districts in Idaho were recognized, making Idaho the only state that is Public Health Ready in its entirety.

PHD underwent rigorous reviews conducted by Project Public Health Ready, a unique partnership program between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We are proud to have been recognized by Project Public Health Ready for our high level of preparedness," Jeanne Bock, PHD director, said. "This is national validation of what we already know - that the health district has vastly improved our ability to respond to both naturally occurring disease and to a bioterrorist event.

"We will continue to improve our ability to quickly and effectively respond to any public health crisis in the five northern counties."

As part of its preparedness efforts, PHD has:

• Developed formal agreements and/or cooperative working relationships with dozens of community partners, including first responders, school districts, tribes, health care providers, governmental agencies, volunteer organizations and others.

• Formed one of the largest Medical Reserve Corps in the nation. The 1,200-member volunteer force would be vital in PHD's emergency response efforts.

• Trained its entire staff and dozens of community partners in preparedness activities. PHD has exercised several components of its emergency response plans with both staff and community partners participating.  

• Assisted hospitals in the five northern counties in the procurement of more than $350,000 in emergency response equipment.

• Developed a cooperative agreement with the Idaho Department of Lands' Coeur d'Alene Interagency Fire Cache for logistical support in an emergency.  

To gain recognition, Project Public Health Ready required PHD to achieve goals in three key areas: preparedness planning; individual worker competence; and demonstration of readiness through drills and exercises.

The recognition confirms that PHD has an emergency response plan in place, the plan is appropriately connected to emergency response plans of community partners, agency staff members are

trained, and the plan is exercised and used during public health and other community emergencies.  Additionally, agencies selected this year met a new standard requiring that emergency preparedness plans emphasize an all-hazards approach, instead of focusing on a single event or emergency.  

Other agencies recognized this year are:
North Central District Health Department - Lewiston
Southwest District Health Department - Caldwell
Central District Health Department - Boise
South Central District Health Department - Twin Falls
Southeast District Health Department - Pocatello
District Seven Health Department - Idaho Falls
Santa Clara County Public Health Department - San Jose, Calif.
Okeechobee County Health Department - Okeechobee, Fla.
Boston Public Health Commission - Boston, Mass.
Gallatin City-County Health Department - Bozeman, Mont.
Metropolitan Public Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County - Nashville, Tenn.
Arlington County Public Health Division - Arlington, Va.
Public Health-Seattle & King County - Seattle, Wash.
Wellesley Health Department - Wellesley, Mass.

"NACCHO commends Panhandle Health District for being a model of public health emergency preparedness," said Patrick Libbey, executive director of NACCHO. "The public health system still has work to do when it comes to preparedness, but we are making great strides thanks to the good work of Panhandle Health District."

NACCHO previously recognized 12 other agencies as Public Health Ready.  

Local public health agencies recognized underwent an evaluation process that included reviews by three members of the Project Public Health Ready Review Council. The Council consists of local health officials and organizational liaisons from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Association of Schools of Public Health, the National Association for Local Boards of Health, the National Environmental Health Association, and the National Public Health Leadership Development Network.

Panhandle Health District serves Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties. More information about Panhandle Health District is available at www.phd1.idaho.com.

For more information on all Project Public Health Ready sites and tools and resources they have developed, go to www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/pphr.cfm.