The Unified Health Command:

Strengthening Public Health Interventions in

Yellowstone County

Doug Moore, MD, MPHYellowstone City-County

Health DepartmentOctober 18, 2005

Yellowstone County, Montana

Objectives• Identify key components of a

successful health-based preparedness committee

• Describe how a local service based health department transitioned into a public health focused organization

YCCHD TimelineUp to 1999

9/0002

9/02

11/023/03 6/03 7/03

03 & 04

Health officer, medical director, communicable disease PHN, and environmental healthPHPS assignee – chronic careBT grantPHPS assignee – BT preparedness/CHAPPublic health and safety mill levyBT focused PHS staff, PHNRisk communications managerReceived mill levyPHS staffing

Timeline2002

2003

2004

2005

September 11th

Anthrax attacks

Small poxFlu/vaccine shortageNPS auditWest Nile Virus

E. coli O157 and CampylobacterCyclosporaFlu vaccine

PertussisWest Nile VirusFlu vaccine

MissionTo unify the health professions community in Yellowstone County for the purpose of preventing disease, preparing for events that may affect the health of our community, and responding to such events as an organized body.

Objectives• Prepare our community for all events that may

have a health impact

• Write, review, and update disaster preparedness plans

• Respond to outbreaks as a coordinated response team

• Develop singular messages for conveying health-related information to the community

• Coordinate mass treatment or mass prophylaxis clinics during emergencies

• Develop coordinated prevention campaigns

• Lead health related recovery efforts after an emergency

Unified Health Command• Unified response to communicable

disease outbreaks and public health issues

• Disaster medical health plan

• Mass immunization plan

• Training, tabletop, and live exercises

• Cover Your Cough campaign

• Respiratory illness plan

• 4 D’s campaign

Currently my community has an identified public health/ medical infrastructure for addressing disasters. True or False?

A. True

B. False

Question

Positive Impacts• Response

• Planning

• Communication

– Internal

– External – healthcare community and the community at large

• National Public Health Performance Standards Assessment

Impact of the Assessment• Health department strategic plan

based on the 10 essential services

• Future plans– Community assessment

– Community health plan

– Community health profile

– Another community assessment

In my community which one of the following has been the biggest challenge in using preparedness resources?

A. Long-term viability

B. Mismatch of priorities

C. BT v. full use focus

D. Other

Question

Challenges• Long-term viability

• Mismatch of priorities – federal, state, and local

• BT v. full use focus