Research, Trainings, and Resources

To view the psychological first aid instructor list, click here.

Registration is now open for the conference A National Health Security Card – The Time is Now! being held from April 24–26, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. This conference, supported by the Southwestern Texas Regional Advisory Council, will announce the findings of a three-year program led by a research team from the American Medical Association and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The primary objective of this conference is to demonstrate the relevance and value of a secure personal health information system for use in disasters and other day-to-day medical emergencies. Through discussions with senior health officials and policymakers in the public and private sectors from across the US and a simulation demonstration of the “smart” card technology, the conference will explore how this prototype technology can be the following:

• An effective public health tool for disaster and emergency situations;
• A secure patient and provider identification card;
  
• An effective e-health tool to connect consumers, responders and providers through integration across electronic medical record systems; and
  
• A platform to integrate emergency response and everyday health care systems.

Please visit www.ama-assn.org/go/hscconference for up-to-date information about the conference and to register. Early registration at a discounted rate will close on March 30, 2012; space is limited, so please register early! For any other inquires about the conference, please contact Bidisha Sinha, MPH at bidisha.sinha@ama-assn.org.

On March 28, the Executive Working Group for the Whole Community Inclusion will meet at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Attendees will include the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters (CARD).

Participants will explore strategies for creating access to Strategic National Stockpile Points of Dispensing Sites for vulnerable and at-risk populations in a public health emergency.

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A new toolkit of prepared cell phone text messages advising people how to protect their health after a
disaster is available now through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These messages support state and local emergency managers in disaster response. Emergency responders can use the messages as they are or tailor the messages based on specific local needs. The toolkit currently features text messages relevant to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. More »

The Texas Health Institute on behalf of the HHS Office of Minority Health developed a toolkit entitled "Guidance for Integrating Culturally Diverse Communities into Planning for and Responding to Emergencies: A Toolkit." More »

 The Health and Disability project of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is proud to sponsor the Health and Disability Learning Community. The initial module of the learning community is focusing on ways to enhance emergency planning and preparedness activities that engage and include people with disabilities.

The learning community encourages information sharing among a wide range of audiences, including health departments, people with disabilities, disability organizations, academic institutions, and NACCHO.

Members of the learning community have access to online collaboration space which is used for discussions and the ability to upload and download resources and tools. Community members also share and learn together by engaging in conference calls and webinars.

If you are interested in sharing and learning about best practices, tools, and resources focused on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, consider joining the learning community.

For more information, click here or please contact disability@naccho.org.

The Preparedness Guide, Identifying Vulnerable Older Adults and Legal Options for Increasing Their Protection During All-Hazards Emergencies: A Cross-Sector Guide for States and Communities has recently been released along with the launch of the accompanying preparedness web portal. 

To view the web portal and a pdf copy of the guide, visit www.cdc.gov/aging/emergency.

This media and messaging guide was produced based on the input of individuals who attended the "Communicating Public Health Preparedness: A Messaging Summit and Advanced Skills Workshop" conducted by Qorvis Communications in November 2011.

The purpose of the guide is to assist organizational partners of CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) and all interested persons in communicating more effectively the critical importance of public health preparedness. More »

The American Medical Association (AMA) has released a Citizen Ready Guide: How You Can Prepare for Disasters and Public Health Emergencies. More »

 "PHEP 101–Introduction to the Public Health Preparedness Capabilities" is available. More »

On June 15, 2011, The Institutes of Medicine (IOM) released the report, Advancing Regulatory Science for Medical Countermeasure Development—Workshop Summary. More »