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April-June 2006
NCCPHP has some
new projects around pandemic and avian influenza. In addition
to developing avian influenza response training curriculum in
Southeast Asia, we are working in partnership with the North Carolina
Division of Public Health to provide technical assistance around
pandemic influenza response plan development to local health departments.
Furthermore, we are working with the North Carolina Department
of Agriculture & Consumer Services to develop seminars for
county agriculture extension and emergency management workers.
NCCPHP hosted
our first-ever Lifelong Learning Conference this quarter, drawing
80 participants from 37 local North Carolina health agencies,
three Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams, the NC Division
of Public Health, the Office of Public Health Preparedness and
Response, and the Iowa Center for Public Health Preparedness.
And we will have another great opportunity to share our resources
with partners nationwide, with 2 oral presentations and 5 posters
accepted to the American Public Health Association 134th Annual
Meeting and Exposition to be held November 4-8 in Boston, Mass.
---Pia
MacDonald, NCCPHP Director
Surveillance
& Epidemiology
Team
Epi-Aid (SPH student volunteers to assist urgent public health
response)
This quarter,
Team Epi-Aid continued to assist with data analysis for statewide
Cryptosporidium surveillance, and a Medical Reserve Corps project
in Alamance County. Ten Team Epi-Aid volunteers helped conduct
a community health assessment in Surry County. Team Epi-Aid will
also be participating in a pre-hurricane assessment in Carteret
and Onslow counties, which will be similar to a rapid needs assessment
but conducted before a storm.
Technical
Assistance to North Carolina
This quarter,
NCCPHP began developing a training package for the Orange County
Medical Reserve Corps per a request from the volunteer coordinator
at Orange County Health Department. We are working to develop
online training modules in partnership with PHRST 5.
In the past
three months, NCCPHP has conducted Epi Info trainings for public
health staff in Appalachian Health District, Durham County, Harnett
County, Johnston County, New Hanover County, Scotland County,
and Yadkin County, as well as for the Division of Public Health.
NCCPHP staff
attended and presented at the NC Epi Teams Conference on May 17
in Research Triangle Park, with an attendance of nearly 320 local
and state public health workers. At the conference, NCCPHP distributed
summary communicable disease reports to all local health departments
and PHRSTs, and conducted both basic and advanced Epi Info training
sessions.
Other assistance
to local Epi Teams in North Carolina this quarter includes creating
data entry screens for the Fort Bragg medical clinic, providing
technical assistance to Henderson County on creating, managing,
and analyzing a communicable disease log, and conducting training
programs for public health staff in Alamance, Johnston, Richmond,
Scotland, and Wayne counties.
Project
516: Rapid Response
This quarter,
NCCPHP participated in the Project 516 kick-off meeting in Greensboro
with PHRST 5 and the project grantees, and provided support for
training sessions conducted with all grantees at various locations
across the state. NCCPHP staff worked with UNC Greensboro to create
handheld computer versions of evaluation surveys used in the grantee
training sessions, helped administer pre- and post-training evaluations,
and provided suggestions about the trainings based on evaluation
data.
Furthermore,
NCCPHP is assisting with planning and evaluation for a mass exercise
in August, as well as a vaccination clinic for Hepatitis A outbreak
simulation.
Project 516
is a partnership with PHRST 5 that provides funding and training
for local health departments to attain handheld computer and GIS
technology that will enhance their work.
Avian
Influenza Rapid Response Team Training in Southeast Asia
Much work has
been done this quarter on the avian influenza project, including
development of all training modules and much communication with
regional leadership and content experts from the CDC's Thailand
International Emerging Infections Program. Four NCCPHP staff traveled
to Bangkok on June 14-15 to meet with course advisees in preparation
for the training course to be held on July 17-21, 2006.
Training
& Education
NCCPHP staff
provided training to fellow members of the North Carolina Institute
for Public Health, presenting an "Introduction to Epidemiology"
for the NCIPH Public Health 101 lunch-and-learn series, and also
providing a training on developing online surveys using SurveyMonkey.
Training
Web Site
In the second
quarter of 2006, the NCCPHP Training Web Site had 3,410 newly
completed trainings and 1,707 new registered users, for a total
of 11,955 users. We developed a new evaluation form for all online
training modules that gathers more useful information for us,
and is easier to complete for participants.
FOCUS
on Field Epidemiology
A new issue
of FOCUS on Field Epidemiology was published this quarter. "Cohort
Studies for Outbreak Investigations" covers the basics
of conducting a cohort study and discusses how to calculate measures
of disease (prevalence, risks) and disease association (relative
risk).
Preparedness
Training Series
Enrollment in
NCCPHP's new Preparedness Training Series reached 628 participants
by the end of June. The series highlights a different preparedness-related
event and pair of featured trainings each month.
Public
Health Emergency Law
NCCPHP conducted
another round of the CDC's Public Health Emergency Law (PHEL)
course on May 23-25 for 130 participants at three locations across
Tennessee. Previous sessions have been implemented for public
health and law enforcement personnel in West Virginia and North
Carolina.
According to
Gene Matthews of the CDC Law Foundation in the CDC Final Report
on Public Health Emergency Law, "NCCPHP's unique and innovative
approach to PHEL training provides an exemplar model of service
and capacity-building that other academic Centers for Public Health
Preparedness may want to emulate. This is particularly important
since jurisdictions have expressed the need for assistance in
organizing and providing PHEL training."
Advanced
Practice Centers Training Conference
NCCPHP implemented
a series of three webinars for the NACCHO
Advanced Practice Centers (APC) project on April 10, 20, and
24, with between 70 and 85 participants per session from health
departments across the country. While many participants had preparedness-related
job titles, attendees included those from a full range of public
health positions.
What is a webinar?
It's a cross between a webcast and a conference call. Webinar
technology enables participants to view presentation slides and
submit questions online and listen over the phone as presenters
discuss their training resources and answer the audience's questions.
To participate, you must have both a computer with an internet
connection and a telephone.
NCCPHP also
completed the APC Trainer's Guide and CD-ROM, which NACCHO will
distribute to conference attendees and other interested parties
nationwide.
Online
Certificate in Field Epidemiology
NCCPHP is now
accepting applications for our fall 2006 cohort of students. Sixty
students are currently participating, and will complete the certificate
in December 2006.
Introduction
to Communicable Disease Surveillance and Investigation training
course
In partnership
with the General Communicable Disease Control Branch at the NC
Division of Public Health, we provided technical support for the
15-week Introduction to Communicable Disease Surveillance and
Investigation training course. A total of 36 public health staff
from 26 North Carolina counties participated in the spring 2006
course.
Lifelong
Learning
The first-ever
Lifelong Learning Conference "The Key to a Prepared Workforce"
was held April 27 at the UNC Friday Center. Conference highlights
included information and strategies presented by Lifelong Learning
Counties in a panel discussion, small group discussions on challenges
and resources, the presentation by keynote speaker, Dr. Hugh Tilson,
and a toolkit filled with resources for preparedness trainings
and strategies for workforce development.
NCCPHP is collaborating
with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health on their Public
Health Academy project. The Academy will provide training and
support for local health department employees across North Carolina
in public health and leadership topics.
NCCPHP staff
have provided training and assistance to Catawba, Harnett, Pitt,
and Yadkin counties on various issues related to lifelong learning
and the online workforce development system (WDS).
Project
Public Health Ready
NCCPHP continues
to assist 25 northeastern North Carolina counties to reach their
Project Public Health Ready goals by August 2006. NCCPHP staff
have facilitated the Advisory Committee and Core Group meetings,
prepared regional assessment instruments available to all PHRST
1 counties, and are providing much assistance to counties as they
work to complete the assessment by the end of July.
Work
with Partner States
This quarter,
NCCPHP hosted our third annual State Partners Meeting on June
9 at the UNC Friday Center, with attendees representing seven
states. NCCPHP also facilitated a conference call in May on using
mobile data collection techniques to address rapid needs assessments,
after-action reports, and public health threats.
Assistance to
partner states includes the following activities:
- Florida:
NCCPHP discussed using mobile GIS in the development of public
health "strike teams" with Florida Department of Health.
- Illinois:
NCCPHP discussed implementation of the CDC's Public Health Emergency
Law course.
- Mississippi:
We completed and submitted the Hurricane Katrina After Action
Report based on visits to Mississippi to partners in both Mississippi
and North Carolina.
-
Tennessee:
We are planning to deliver avian influenza trainings at Nashville-Davidson
Metro stakeholder meetings for pandemic flu on July 21 and
August 30 in Nashville. We are also developing pocket guides
for all rapid responders on collection of potential biohazards,
and biological agents posters with reference laboratory information
for local health departments.
- West
Virginia:
NCCPHP is assisting with planning to pilot the statewide strategic
training program with local public health agencies in and around
Morgantown in August. We also worked to update the Training
Plan Curriculum Template into workforce groupings to depict
levels of optimal training.
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Have you seen us?
Publications
Hightow LB,
Leone PA, MacDonald PDM, McCoy SI, Sampson LA, and
Kaplan AH. Men
Who Have Sex With Men and Women: A Unique Risk Group for HIV Transmission
on North Carolina College Campuses. Sex Transm Dis. June 14,
2006; 35 (5).
Presentations
Case study of
lessons learned in Asheville. Presented at the Water Resources
Research Institute Conference, Raleigh, NC. April 5, 2006.
"Assuring
a competent and prepared public health workforce through implementation
of a lifelong learning policy in local health departments across
North Carolina: The role of health educators." Presented
at the National Conference on Health Promotion and Education,
Washington, DC.
Overview of
Project 516. Presented at the 2006 NC Health Summit sponsored
by ESRI. May 15, 2006.
Exhibit of NCCPHP
materials. Eastern District of North Carolina Public Health Association
annual meeting, Atlantic Beach, NC. May 3-5, 2006.
Exhibit of NCCPHP
materials. North Carolina Epi Teams Conference, Research Triangle
Park, NC. May 17, 2006.
Exhibit of NCCPHP
materials. North Carolina Epi Teams Conference, Research Triangle
Park, NC. May 17, 2006.
Exhibit of NCCPHP
materials. South Carolina Public Health Association annual meeting,
Myrtle Beach, SC. May 23-25, 2006.
Exhibit of NCCPHP
materials. Western North Carolina Public Health Association annual
meeting, Clemmons, NC. May 23-25, 2006.
"Communicable
Disease Control Training for North Carolina Public Health Workforce:
An Internet/Classroom-Based Hybrid Course." Poster presented
at Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Conference,
Anaheim, Calif. June 5-8, 2006.
NCCPHP
in the News
University
of North Carolina SPH Accepting Application for Certificate in
Field Epidemiology - Due July 31, 2006. ASPH Friday Letter,
April 21, 2006.
"Hurricane
Katrina: North Carolina Conducts After Action Review of Mississippi's
Response." Epi Notes Volume 2006-1; March 2006-May 2006:
pp. 4, 6.
"Special
studies class assists in Mississippi." Impact: a quarterly
newsletter. The North Carolina Institute for Public Health.
May 2006.
"North
Carolina and the Institute help the Mississippi Department of
Health." Impact: a quarterly newsletter. The North
Carolina Institute for Public Health. May 2006.
"What is
a WEBINAR?" Impact: a quarterly newsletter. The North
Carolina Institute for Public Health. May 2006.
"Public
Health Emergency Law." Impact: a quarterly newsletter.
The North Carolina Institute for Public Health. May 2006.
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