Efficient and timely public health response is vital for our nation’s recovery from emergencies. The recent COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in our public health response and ability to order, manage, and distribute medical countermeasures (MCMs) and other public health assets.

To understand how local health departments (LHDs) manage vaccines, therapeutics, non-pharmaceutical interventions, and other lifesaving public health assets, NACCHO is surveying local health departments. NACCHO hopes to use the results from this assessment to inform and support the efforts of local, state, and federal entities on strategizing a more effective response to future public health emergencies. You may take this assessment even if your LHD does not have an inventory management system.

Click here to begin the assessment.

Background

To address gaps in public health response around inventory management, NACCHO partnered with the Association for State and Territory Health Officials (ASTHO), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s HHS Coordination Operations and Response Element (ASPR H-CORE). This partnership led to working with several state and local health department pilot sites to examine the implementation of a Data Use Agreement (DUA) on U.S. government assets. This collaboration provided an initial insight into the various capabilities of state and local health departments to track public health assets throughout their lifecycle using an inventory management system. The project began in March 2024 and ran through August 2024. In July 2024, all state and local pilot sites and organizing partners gathered to share successes, challenges, and outlook of the project. To learn more on this convening, click here.

About the Assessment

Moving into 2025, NACCHO has taken lessons learned from its pilot project and is conducting an assessment to better understand how local health departments manage vaccines, therapeutics, non-pharmaceutical interventions, and other lifesaving public health assets. Through this assessment, NACCHO aims to identify the advantages as well as the barriers LHDs experience in owning and operating inventory management systems (IMS).

You may take this assessment even if your LHD does not have an inventory management system. This assessment specifically explores the management of public health assets and does not concern personal health information (PHI). Individual responses will be kept confidential and will not be shared outside of NACCHO. Findings from this assessment will be reported in aggregate form only, ensuring no identifiable links to your specific LHD or to you as an individual.

This assessment should take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. You do not need to complete the assessment in one sitting.

Please complete the assessment by February 28.

If you have any questions or concerns about this assessment, please contact the NACCHO Preparedness team at [email protected].

Click here to begin the assessment.

The voice and perspective of LHDs are essential for the health and safety of the United States. Thank you for your participation.