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Alysia Mihalakos, chief, Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Rhode Island Department of Health, and chair of the ASTHO Directors of Public Health Preparedness Peer Network, discusses National Preparedness Month and year-round...
Alysia Mihalakos, chief, Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Rhode Island Department of Health, and chair of the ASTHO Directors of Public Health Preparedness Peer Network, discusses National Preparedness Month and year-round collaboration of agencies that respond to emergencies; Dr. Andrea Young, director for the Division of Workforce Development, CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Center, details the AmeriCorps and CDC grant funding to support more than 4,000 AmeriCorps workers; and information on the HHS “Risk Less. Do More” campaign to educate audiences about respiratory viruses.
National Preparedness Month Ready.gov
AmeriCorps and CDC Award $76 Million in Funding to Support Public Health Needs Nationwide
ASTHO Office Hours: Data Modernization Implementation Center Program
HHS “Risk Less. Do More” Campaign
SUMMER JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, September 10, 2024. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
ALYSIA MIHALAKOS:
National Preparedness Month is a moment and a reminder that each of us as individuals has an important role to play in emergency preparedness.
JOHNSON:
Preparedness gets our attention every September, but Alysia Mihalakos with the Rhode Island Health Department, says if agencies want to be ready for everything, they need to collaborate year-round.
MIHALAKOS:
We don't want the emergency response to be the first time people are meeting and working together. So, it's important that those who work in public health know their emergency management colleagues, first responders, healthcare coalition members, subject matter experts, community partners, and very key is our communicators.
JOHNSON:
Mihalakos says planning will depend on where you are in the country.
MIHALAKOS:
Well, it is National Preparedness Month in September and at the height of hurricane season on the Atlantic coast. We're talking about what can happen during a hurricane or a heat wave, a power outage, and during flooding, because all of those are impacts that can occur during a hurricane. But in the winter months, we shift our health, safety and preparedness messaging to focus on getting a flu shot and preparing for the impacts of winter storms.
JOHNSON:
Get more information about National Preparedness Month on the ready.gov website. There's a link in the show notes.
JOHNSON:
89 public health agencies and community-based organizations will share more than $76 million in funding from AmeriCorps and the CDC. A recent announcement says the money will support more than 4000 AmeriCorps members working in the states and territories.
ANDREA YOUNG:
They work in state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments. They work in nonprofit organizations and community based organizations, and this program really creates pathways to good quality public health related careers through a combination of on site, work experience, and training.
JOHNSON:
Dr. Andrea Young is with the CDC Public Health Infrastructure Center. She says AmeriCorps members handle a variety of assignments for their agencies.
YOUNG:
About 55% of members' activities focus on community outreach and engagement. Another 45% focus on support system navigation, referrals, linkages to care. And members also engage in health education and training, conducting community assessments, among other activities.
JOHNSON:
An example is the Healthy Minds Alliance program in Connecticut.
YOUNG:
Members are trained in answering calls, texts, chats from local crisis call centers, and they also recruit volunteers for these crisis call centers, and they are promoting the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline within their communities.
JOHNSON:
Read the grant funding announcement by clicking the link in the show notes.
Also today, agencies with questions about the Public Health Data Modernization Implementation Center Program can choose to attend one of several office hours sessions planned this month. The online sessions provide an opportunity to learn more about how to get involved with the program. The first session is tomorrow, Wednesday, September 11th. Get more information using the link in the show notes.
Finally, this morning, a new national campaign will alert people to respiratory viruses and available vaccines. The Risk Less Do More campaign will educate audiences about influenza, COVID 19, and RSV dangers. Along with ways people can protect themselves from all three illnesses. You can see the campaign using the link in the show notes.
Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.
I'm Summer Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition.
Have a great day.
Chief, Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Rhode Island Department of Health
Director, Division of Workforce Development, Public Health Infrastructure Center, CDC
