CPHD Projects
Assessing the Public Health Impacts of Hurricane Katrina
Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP)
Assessing the Public Health Impacts of Hurricane Katrina
The Center received funding from the National Science Foundation to examine the public health impacts of a large-scale emergency and correlate those with the hazard, damage, and post-event activities. The study will provide essential information that can be used to improve decision-making regarding mitigation, preparedness, and response activities that can reduce the potential for short and long-term health burdens as a result of hurricanes.
CPHD collaborates
with state and local public health agencies to educate and train front line
public health practitioners to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism and other
public health threats and emergencies. The Center provides education and training
services including: assessing the training needs and capacity of the public
health workforce in both the core public health competencies and competencies
in emergency preparedness; developing emergency response plans and annexes;
conducting on-site, all-hazards training tailored to each agency; designing,
implementing, and evaluating exercises that are HSEEP-compliant; and offering
technical assistance to agencies to improve their emergency preparedness and
response capacity.
CPHD has also developed online resources to assist agencies with their emergency
public health preparedness such as Writing a Disaster
Plan: A Guide for Health Departments and the Hazard
Risk Assessment Instrument (HRAI), a unique tool designed for use as a standard
approach to hazard risk assessment that is adapted to the public health impacts
of hazards. Additionally, the Center hosts a nationally recognized annual conference
as well as regional workshops on topics in emergency public health.
CPHD is part of a national network of Centers
for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) funded by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention through Grant/Cooperative Agreement U90/CCU924253.