The National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities

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Initiatives and Resources

Vaccine Promotion Workshop for Faith-Based Leaders in Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health Faith-Based Public Health Workshop Planning Group is sponsoring an upcoming event, Preventing Disease in Your Congregation: Vaccine Promotion for Faith-Based Leaders, which will be held on Thursday, November 8th from 8:00AM through 12NOON at the Temple University Health Sciences Campus Student Faculty Center. 

The Keynote speaker will be Paul Offit, MD from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, whose presentation is titled, "Unvaccinated: The Strange Story of Vaccine Exemptions." Members of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Montgomery County Health Department will also present on recent Pertussis outbreaks in our area. The event will conclude with recommendations for faith-based organizations on how they can be involved in vaccine promotion. 

 The presentations are intended for faith-based leaders and NON-medical personnel (they are NOT offering any CEUs for this event), but encourage students interested in public health challenges to attend. 

The event is free, breakfast is included, and REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

 

 

Health Literacy

Upcoming Health Literacy Twitter Chat October 25th

 

Twitter Chat on the Health Literate Organization 

In honor of Health Literacy Month the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is hosting a health literacy Twitter Chat on October 25, 2012 at 3 p.m. EDT. Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh and AHRQ’s Cindy Brach will be among the participants.

Using the hashtag #healthlit, please join @healthfinder, @HHS_DrKoh, @AHRQNews, @HealthLitMo and others to discuss IOM’s recent paper on the 10 Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations (see http://iom.edu/~/media/Files/Perspectives-Files/2012/Discussion-Papers/BPH_Ten_HLit_Attributes.pdf). Share your ideas on how organizations can help people navigate, understand, and use information and services to take care of their health.

If you have health literacy resources that you’d like to share, either about this issue or related to other health literacy topics, please tweet those before the chat using the hashtag #healthlit. Following the Chat, resources will be posted to http://health.gov/communication/literacy/.  

(transcript from email correspondence)

 

 

 

 

Free Preparedness Trainings for the Philadelphia Public

 

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Program will be offering the 1&1/2-hour Everybody Ready 2.0 handbook training at the following branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia in October:

  • Tuesday, October 23rd, 10:30AM - 12NOON @ Nicetown-Tioga Branch, 3720 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140
  • Thursday, October 25th, 1:00 - 2:30PM @ Fumo Family Branch, 2437 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
  • Monday, October 29th, 1:00PM - 2:30PM @ Independence Hall Branch, 18 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Topics will include What to Expect in a Public Health Emergency, How to Prepare, Local Resources, and Volunteer Opportunities.

This training is intended for Philadelphia residents and commuters who work in Philadelphia.

The training is FREE, but space is limited, and registration is required.

Participants will receive an Everybody Ready 2 handbook and extra copies as they are available. 

To register, call or email Chad Thomas at (215) 685-6459 or chad.thomas@phila.gov.             If leaving a voice message or email, PLEASE INDICATE which session you would like to attend.

 

(transcribed from email correspondence)

 

San Francisco skyline

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting

 

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting

San Francisco, CA

October 27-31, 2012

 

The 140th annual APHA Meeting themed “Prevention and Wellness  Across the Lifespan” will be taking place this fall in San Francisco, CA.  Among the many scientific sessions are a variety of presentations on issues relating to preparedness and diverse populations including:

 

· Emergency Preparedness communication capacity of community based organizations serving older adult and Deaf/hard of hearing populations

 

· Status of collaboration between local health departments and school systems for emergency preparedness and response: School district perspective

 

· Using a community engagement hierarchy model in improving relationships for disaster preparedness

 

· Emergency Preparedness In the Older Adult Population

 

· Training community health workers to promote preparedness and disaster resilience

 

· Effect of mental health on disaster preparedness

 

· Designing more effective public education campaigns: Influences of sociodemographics, environment, and communication on disaster preparedness behavior

  

· Measures of Disaster Preparedness for a Diverse and Changing Demographic Population

 

· A Model for Disaster Preparedness in Families with Special Needs

 

Head Start Emergency Preparedness Manual

This resource contains information on emergency preparedness planning and response for Head Start programs.

 

Emergency Preparedness for Children with Autism: There's an App for That

This is an application for iPhones which allows persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to communicate during emergencies using a 5-point emotional measurement scale.

 

Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Needs

The Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH), in cooperation with the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, developed a guide for families of children with special needs to use to better prepare for emergencies.

 

BAM! Body and Mind

This just-for-kids web resource center provides information about diseases, nutrition & physical activity, social environment, and physical awareness.

 

Community Disaster Resilience

The Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience project is aims to promote community resilience during public health emergencies by engaging community-based organizations as partners with the goal to develop a network of agencies typically involved in providing services during a disaster.

 

WHACK the Flu Toolkit

This is a toolkit designed to educate elementary school students in grades K-3 on flu prevention techniques, such as handwashing and social distancing.

 
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Publications

U.S Schools Unprepared for Pandemics

This article from U.S News Health reports the findings of a national study on school preparedness for pandemics.  Researchers at St. Louis University found that the vast majority of elementary and primary schools do not have updated emergency preparedness plans for pandemics and many schools have no staff that are trained in the school's disaster plan.  Read more

 

Hepatitis C Testing Recommendations from CDC

To learn more CLICK HERE

 

Washington Pertussis Epidemic

To learn more CLICK HERE
 

Swine Flu Strain Infects Iowa Children

There have been a handful of cases of children in Iowa who have contracted a strain of swine flu. This is a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which highlights cases of children in Iowa who have contracted a strain of swine flu. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

 

How Colorado Develops Preparedness with Diverse Populations

This article, appearing in Emergency Management News, describes strategies developed and employed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to engage diverse populations in preparedness, response, and recovery planning.  To access the article CLICK HERE. 

 

Introduction of a Guide to Enhance Risk Communication Among Low-Income and Minority Populations: A Grassroots Community Engagement Approach

This article, recently appearing in Health Promotion Practice,outlines a grassroots approach to enhancing the capacity of the risk communication systems to reach vulnerable populations. The approach provides guidance on strategies to tailor existing risk communication systems and build partnerships with local community stakeholder. To access the full article and summary CLICK HERE.

 

Influenza Pandemic: Lessons from the H1N1 Pandemic Should Be Incorporated into Future Planning

This recent report from the United States Government Accountability Office discusses lessons learned from the H1N1 pandemic, including the need to better reach non-English speakers. The report highlights promising practices to meet the needs of LEP communities from local jurisdictions across the country in addition to recommendations for future planning at the federal-level. To access the report CLICK HERE  

 

Disaster Preparedness of Linguistically Isolated Populations: Practical Issues for Planners

This article, recently appearing in Health Promotion Practice, presents the findings from a series of focus groups that were conducted in Houston, Texas to inform the development of effective emergency communication and service delivery strategies in linguistically isolated communities. To access the full summary and article CLICK HERE     

 

Socioeconomic status, demographics, beliefs and A(H1N1) vaccine uptake in the United States

This article, recently appearing in Vaccine, presents the results from a nationally representative survey  which explored sociodemographic characteristics and beliefs associated with H1N1 vaccine uptake in the United States. The results suggest that perceptions of safety and seasonal flu vaccination were determinants of H1N1 vaccination and are presented by race/ethnicity. To access the full summary and article CLICK HERE.

 

Attending to Social Vulnerability when Rationing Pandemic Resources

This article, appearing in the Journal of Clinical Ethics, presents recommendations from the Minnesota Pandemic Ethics Project on health resource rationing in pandemics with an explicit focus on socially vulnerable populations, including racial/ethnic minorities. To access the article CLICK HERE.

 
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