506: Maintaining Pandemic Partnerships, Septic System Data

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, September 19, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ANDREW PICKETT: 

Whether it's National Preparedness Month or not National Preparedness Month, you know, what are you doing as an individual to be prepared? What are you doing within your organization to be prepared? And then, what outreach are you doing with your communities to make sure your communities are prepared?

JOHNSON: 

Andrew Pickett with the Pennsylvania Department of Health says emergency preparedness depends on external and internal partnerships.

PICKETT: 

Partnerships could be within an organization where your epidemiology team is working with your nursing team, is working with your environmental health team,  is working with your preparedness team. That level of collaboration is really important for public health to continue to foster.

JOHNSON: 

Pickett says the pandemic lead to a lot of new public health partnerships, but the challenge now is how to keep them going.

PICKETT: 

We have many more partners that we've got those phone numbers, we've got those email addresses. Now, the challenge is staying engaged with them and reminding them that we're still here. And certainly, you know, letting them know that they can call upon us or have that dialogue with us as well.

JOHNSON: 

He adds the Preparedness Month designation is an opportunity to get attention and action on projects and partnerships.

PICKETT: 

The whole intent of National Preparedness Month is to use it and sort of create that groundswell of awareness around preparedness. And so, many organizations, FEMA, state emergency management officials, local emergency management, but public health as well, can jump on that bandwagon and join that groundswell of communication to partners and- and also to elected leaders, to legislators, to help educate about the importance of preparedness.

JOHNSON: 

Pickett has written a blog article about National Preparedness Month for the ASTHO website. There's a link in the show notes.

ASTHO has issued a statement supporting the recommendation that all Americans, age six-months and older, get the latest COVID-19 vaccine. The Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the CDC recently endorsed the latest vaccine formula. You can read ASTHO's news release using the link in the show notes.

Also today, the 11th annual SepticSmart Week is this week. Tim Callahan is with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

TIM CALLAHAN: 

Septic systems play a real crucial role. They're a foundational role for public health in that they ensure safe water. And there's a lot of things that can be attributed to the advancements in public health, simply because we've been able to establish safe water with septic systems and other sewage management.

JOHNSON: 

Even so, Callahan says public health doesn't have much data regarding septic systems.

CALLAHAN: 

In Georgia, like in other states, there's a lack of comprehensive data on septic systems, as well as in private wells. It is due mostly due to lack of data standards across the over 2800 environmental health organizations in the U.S. This information gap makes it really difficult to identify potential health risks and prepare for recovery to like floods and disaster events. To bridge this gap, we attempted a comprehensive inventory septic system and private wells in Georgia. By mapping and documenting the systems we can better understand the conditions that affect them and identify areas of concerns, as well as take some proactive measures to prevent problems.

 JOHNSON: 

Callahan says partnerships and working in communities could help improve knowledge of these systems where they exist. These are key as part of trying to get a hold of what conditions might be impacting these onsite sewage systems. And to be able to produce an inventory within your community. It's essentially, engaging with the people who live in the areas with septic systems and private wells, because oftentimes they have valuable data and knowledge that you can't get otherwise.

JOHNSON: 

The EPA has a webpage about septic SmartWeek. Look for the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, if you're looking for a good book to read in the fall, ASTHO has a list for you. Fiction or nonfiction, there's something for everyone. We've got the link in the show notes.

We'd also like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.