Overview
Planning a regional response to
public health emergencies
a) How regional preparedness efforts are different from
local readiness initiatives;
b) How regional structures work to prepare and respond
to public health emergencies;
c) Capacities that supported a region’
region’s functioning; and
Patrick Lenihan, Ph.D.
d) What tools are available for regional preparedness
planning?
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Regional vs. Individual
Regional vs. Individual
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The key distinction separating a regional
approach to preparedness from the
approach taken by a single Local Health
Department (LHD) is the need for
coordinated efforts across multiple
jurisdictions
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Regional preparedness is more than scaledscaled-up
individual preparedness
Working at a higher level of complexity; not just
a wider area of geography
Regional preparedness more about strategic
planning than operational planning
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Factors that impact regional
structure and function
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Examples of regional structures
Perception precedes conception: Consider
emergency scenarios
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Authority informs type of regional
response: Regional vs. Individual authority
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Efficiency, effectiveness, and/or capacity:
What are the needs of the region?
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A mandated existing homeland security/emergency
management region/or state health department region in
which the authority lies within the “umbrella”
umbrella” agency.
A formal notnot-forfor-profit board structure with a selected
chairperson or president and governing structure;
A more informal coalition, advisory, or taskforce
structure with key positions in which decisions are made
by consensus;
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How regions function
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Networking:
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How regions function
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Sharing preparedness information (e.g.,
recent reports, grant guidance), approaches
to planning, press releases, exercise results,
or staff organizational charts
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Coordinating:
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Standardizing:
Centralizing:
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Conducting joint exercises, trainings, ‘strike’
strike’
or response teams, or a regional project such
as a media campaign.
Trainings, planning tools, plan content and format
(such as annexes), resource typing, job action sheets,
and even ‘triage tags’
tags’ that emergency medical
services could use throughout the region.
Resources such as a single web portal, an emergency
notification system centralized through a regional
coordinator, a single regional training contractor or
regional staff (e.g.,GIS specialist).
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Capacities that Support & Challenge
Regional Functioning
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Staff time
Agency support
Leadership body
Established regional relationships
State requirements
Authority to plan and respond
Relationship with the state
Resources to sustain regional work
Questions to Consider:
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What entities involved in Emergency Response (ER) exist
in my community?
What ER capacities already exist in my region?
What are the state requirements for staff and other
agencies involved in ER?
How will the region develop or enhance relationships
needed to access information, resources, and other state
support?
How will my region support regional efforts?
Who will be involved in the regional efforts to provide
technical oversight and support?
Who can declare an emergency?
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Project Public Health Ready Helps
Improve Regional Preparedness
Operated by the National Association of County
and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
„ Provides a template to structure regional
planning
„ Comprehensive “to do”
do” list in the form of criteria
„ Established and tested national framework
„ National Recognition Program
„ Linked to tools and examples
„ Network of regional sites for peer assistance
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