NACCHO, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Reproductive Health, recently launched its 2023-2024 Virtual Learning Collaborative (VLC) for the Inclusion of Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Populations in Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR). The VLC aims to increase the capacity of local health departments (LHDs) to prioritize MCH populations in emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities. The third cohort of the VLC convenes ten LHDs from across the country varying in size, urbanicity, and demographic makeup of populations served. The VLC is an equitable cross-training effort by design and intentionally brings together one MCH and one EPR staff member from each LHD to participate in the training series. NACCHO has selected the following LHDs to participate in this year’s VLC:
- Middletown Health Department, Connecticut
- Boulder County Public Health, Colorado
- Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, Kansas
- St. Mary’s County Health Department, Maryland
- Shiawassee County Health Department, Michigan
- Rolette County Public Health District, North Dakota
- Lorain County Public Health, Ohio
- Chester County Health Department, Pennsylvania
- Dallas County Health and Human Services, Texas
- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, Washington
The VLC is guided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Emergency Planning Toolkit and consists of training exercises and case study discussions. VLC members also participate in an in-person tabletop exercise where they spend the day in small groups walking through a public health emergency scenario to assess plans, policies, and procedures. Throughout the project year, participants will have the opportunity to review and update their organizations’ operational plans to ensure they are equipped to address the access and functional needs of MCH populations throughout the emergency management cycle.
To follow the work of our VLC members over this project year, please visit NACCHO’s Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Team webpage.
