Public Health Learning (April 2019)

Advancing the public health workforce to achieve organizational excellence

Home

Related Categories: Workforce Development

Topic: TRAIN

Date: 3/27/2019

Public Health Learning

April 2019

Achieving Healthier Populations & Communities

Will You be Ready When the Next Disaster Hits?

Disasters can happen at a moment's notice and when we least expect them. Within the first three months of 2019, we have seen the deadliest tornado outbreak in six years hit the southeastern United States, ¹ severe flooding in the Midwest, and a "bomb cyclone" storm in Colorado and the Midwest.

What will you do if a natural disaster hits near you? As a community, we need to be prepared for disasters and the recovery afterward. E xplore the available disaster response training opportunities on the TRAIN Learning Network .

Learn more about training to prepare for hurricanes , wildfires , or flooding and be ready to help your community when the time comes.

In the News:

Training Spotlight:

Caring for Older Adults in Disasters: A Curriculum for Health Professionals

The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) created this competency-based curriculum to enhance the care of older adults during disasters. The courses examine topics that include the impact of chronic illness, medication scarcity, and psychiatric resiliency on older adults in community living facilities.

Video: When is Water Safe to Drink?

When is water safe to drink? - Mia Nacamulli

Disaster Recovery Resources

A Critical Connection: The Water and Healthcare/Public Health Sectors from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides planning steps for water utilities to best assist and advise their community when a disaster strikes.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's (ASPR), Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) program has put together recovery planning resources that highlight planning guidelines, tools, lessons learned, and promising practices to assist healthcare emergency planners.

Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides tips for taking steps to prevent illness from unsafe food and water after a disaster.

Wisconsin's Department of Health Services has published a Flood Toolkit to provide information to local governments, health departments, and citizens about preparing for and responding to flood events.

Did You Know?

There are many things to consider after a flood or tornado. One important tip is to save phone calls for emergencies as phone systems are often down or congested after a disaster. Try to use text messaging or social media to communicate with family and friends. Visit www.ready.gov to learn more about being safe before, during, and after natural disasters.

Events

Webinar: Sustainable Disaster Recovery - Clean Energy in Humanitarian Crises

April 10, 2019. 2:00-3:00pm EDT.

Sponsor: Footprint.org

Webinar: TRB Webinar: Taking Preparedness Seriously: Emergency Exercises for Any Airport

April 18, 2019. 2:00-3:30pm EDT.

Sponsor: Transportation Research Board

National Hurricane Conference

April 22 - 25, 2019. New Orleans, LA.

Sponsor: National Hurricane Conference, Inc.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) 2019 Annual Conference

May 6 - 9, 2019. Nashville, TN.

Sponsor: VOAD

2019 Emergency Management Leaders Conference

May 29 - 30, 2019. Phoenix, AZ.

Sponsor: Various sponsors

2019 Public Health Improvement Training (PHIT)

June 12 - 13, 2019. New Orleans, LA.

Sponsor: CDC

Successes from Safe WATCH: Resources and Stories

As part of CDC’s Safe Water for Community Health (Safe WATCH) support, the Public Health Foundation helped the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department (WA) design a quality improvement plan to improve water testing rates . Plan implementation, staff education, and staff outreach efforts increased compliance with bacterial testing from below 70% to almost 80%.

Looking to improve your drinking water program? View more resources from the Safe WATCH program , take the Safe Drinking Water Program Improvement e-Learning Series on TRAIN , or contact Vanessa Lamers for assistance at vlamers@phf.org .

¹ Weatherwatch: world hit by tornadoes, wildfires and cyclones. Rich Johnson. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/13/weatherwatch-world-hit-by-tornadoes-wildfires-and-cyclones . Accessed March 14, 2019.

Stay Connected

Email: training@phf.org

Website: www.train.org

Comments

Subscribe to PHF