Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness Veronica M. Aberle, MSN, RN Peoria City/County Health Department Sarah Buller Fenton, MS, RNC Tazewell County Health Department Laurie Schierer MS Woodford County Health Department

Peoria County183,000 Tazewell County128,000 Woodford County36,000 Total 347,000 Tri-County Area Population Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Peoria County Demographics Urban Rural Mix City of Peoria: 112,000 County Total: 183,000 Population: 79% white, 16% African-American, 2% Hispanic, 1.7% Asian and 1.3% other 4 municipalities; 18 independent school districts Home to 2 research/ teaching medical centers, a Children’s Hospital and a community hospital Peoria has four Colleges of Nursing; undergraduate and graduate Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Tazewell County Demographics Rural /urban Mix City of Pekin: 33,857; East Peoria: 22, 638; Morton: 15,198 County Total: 128,000 Population: 97% white,.9% African-American,1% Hispanic,.5% Asian and.6% other 2 Community Hospitals Woodford County Demographics Rural County City of Eureka: 4,871 County Total: 36,000 Population: 98.5% white,.3% African American,.7% Hispanic,.3% Asian and.2% other Health Department contractually operated by BroMenn Health Care Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Regional Health Services OSF St. Francis Medical Center Methodist Medical Medical Center Proctor Hospital Pekin Hospital Eureka Community Hospital University of Illinois Colleges of Medicine and Nursing American Red Cross Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford Health Departments Advanced Medical Transport ( EMS) PH Regional Response Planner & Epidemiologist Established Partners for Health Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Government Partnerships Illinois River Valley Council of Governments Mayors County Boards ESDA Directors FBI, Police and Fire Chiefs Associations Illinois Air Guard 5 th Civil Support Team USDA Research Laboratory Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

January, 2000 Hoax Anthrax Threat Peoria Planned Parenthood June, 2000 Peoria Area Task Force on Weapons of Mass Destruction Medical Subcommittee March, 2001 IEMA – Illinois Terrorism Threat Assessment February, 2002 Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition March 6, 2002 Community Leaders Meeting Beginnings Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Mission …”through planning, to coordinate the response … to protect the lives and property of the citizens.” Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness Unique Partnership: Plan-Train-Exercise-Respond Cross Jurisdictional Public/Private Partnership Organized Under Leadership of ESDA Directors Six standing Committees- First RespondersSupport Services Medical/Public HealthPublic Information Officers CommunicationsExecutive

Focus Areas Funding Planning Training Equipment Coordinated Response Resources Communications Notification and Procedures Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

WMD Medical/Public Health Committee Recognition of Public Health as First Responder Establish Role of Public Health in Disaster Response Goals and objectives focused on education, training, equipment for HazMat, pre-hospital and hospital Public Health link to pharmacies to establish prophylaxis plan (state and national stockpile) Training and Exercise Communications cooperation among partners System to monitor readiness Initial Challenges Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee Public Health’s Initial Priorities 2002 Medication/Prophylaxis Distribution Workforce Development/Staff Training Surveillance Systems Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee June, 2002 Change of Focus: Public Health planning takes priority. Committee to be chaired by a hospital representative and a public health representative. Reviewed goals and objectives Identified areas for discussion and action Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Discussion Items – Planning, training, education Exercises, drills Environmental sampling Response teams – IMERT, MRC Public information Public Health/Medical Committee Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee Action Items - Resources for nursing/professional support Regional Cooperation Mutual Aid Agreements Exercises and drills Utilization of Illinois and National stockpiles Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

HRSA Grant submitted on behalf of Tri-County Terrorism Response Coalition by the American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter Recruit, train, organize and exercise professional volunteers Support community needs: Strategic National Stockpile Deployment Public Health Emergencies Public Education on Preparedness Medical Reserve Corps Resources to Support Public Health Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

“Together We Prepare ” Community Education Disaster Preparedness Public Education: American Red Cross Focus on families and business: Preparation of Home and family Continuity of business operations Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Information Cooperative Efforts Public Information Officers of Public Health, Hospitals and American Red Cross Planned Coordinated Response with media Joint News Conferences: Anthrax Threat Pre-event smallpox Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Coordinated plans, procedures and training Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers Utilize Shared Resources Target Special Populations Schools and Day Care Pediatric Prophylaxis Protocols Children & Adults with Special Needs Pre-event Community Education Public Health Emergencies Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Public Health/Medical Committee Regional Cooperation Hospitals PH-Regional Response Planning Area Pre-event smallpox vaccination program Mock Smallpox Clinic Mutual aid agreements Peoria City/County Health Department Tazewell County Health Department Woodford County Health Department Surveillance and SNS subcommittees Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Hospital & Community Pharmacists Single Agency Plans Regional Public Health Plans Regional Multi-Agency/Cross Jurisdictional Plan Public Health/Medical Committee Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Current Initiatives DOJ Threat Assessment Fall 2003 Collaborative Grant Plan Submitted on Behalf of an expanded 5 county coalition includes: Equipment, PPE and training plans to be used across first responder disciplines i.e. Incident Command/Unified Command, Forensic Epidemiology, Cross-system communication Surveillance Committee: Hospitals (Infection Control) and Health Departments targeting system issues surrounding communication, reporting and isolation and quarantine Web-based regional exercise, SARS scenario, 5/27/04 Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Strengths of Partnerships Maximize the resources/skills of each partner Unique partnership maintains local control and builds trust among diverse partners Promote goals and objectives across the communities Grant Awards: Project Impact Medical Reserve Corps Homeland Security Funding Opportunities in Partnership Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness

Coming together is a beginning, Staying together is progress, And working together is success. -Henry Ford Public Health Partnerships for Preparedness