THE WESTERN NEW YORK PUBLIC HEALTH ALLIANCE, INC.
ADVANCED PRACTICE CENTER
Rural Center for Advanced Public Health Practice
The Western New York Public Health Alliance, Inc. (WNYPHA) Rural Advanced Practice Center (APC) is a resource for rural public health agencies throughout the nation as it is currently developing tools to be used in rural public health emergency planning and provides unique insight on the development and maintenance of successful public health department collaboration and regionalism. The Rural APC is a partnership among Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties.
What the Rural Center APC can do for you
The WNYPHA Rural Advanced Practice Center is working diligently to develop tools and resources that can be used by public health departments nationwide to assist in public health emergency planning. The WNYPHA Advanced Practice Center is working on developing the following tools and resources:
- A Spatial Analysis Web-Based Tool to predict post-event rural population surge resulting from the mass evacuation of an urban area following a dirty bomb, pandemic flu, or industrial/chemical incident.
- A Best Practices Guidance Document concerning cross-border issues, both international and interstate. This document will identify "best practices" for legal, mutual aid, communication, and other cross-border issues.
- Two one-hour live Video Training Broadcasts related to rural public health preparedness. The first video training broadcast, titled "Mass Evacuation to Rural Communities," can be viewed by clicking here: http://www.ualbanycphp.org/GRS/eventpast.cfm?id=79
- A Guidance Document titled "Proceedings, WNYPHA—Urban to Rural Emergency Evacuation Planning Issues and Variables," October 26, 2006. This document provides an overview, sample agenda, suggested participants, and critical discussion points to identify useful variables for evacuation planning.
More to come…
The WNYPHA Rural Advanced Practice Center continues to develop tools and products that can be used to assist rural public health emergency planners prepare for and respond to an act of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. Future products include:
- The second one-hour live Video Training Broadcast, tentatively titled "Mass Evacuation to Rural Communities: New Tools for Planning," is scheduled to air in September 2007.
- Refinement of Spatial Analysis Web-Based Tool, including addition of various planning variables and national mapping capacity.
For more information on this APC or these tools, please contact:
Tracy Fricano-Chalmers
Program Manager
WNYPHA Rural APC
Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness
BB Building, Room 172
462 Grider Street
Buffalo, NY 14215
Tel: (716) 961-6865
Fax: (716) 961-6897
E-mail: chalmert@erie.gov
