NACCHO funded six local health departments (LHDs) for the Pathways for Robust Equity in Preventive Actions and Response Efforts in Healthcare Settings (PREPARE) Project. The PREPARE Project was established to strengthen local health department (LHD) capacity in equitable outbreak prevention and response of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance (HAI/AR) threats in healthcare settings. 

The aim of the project was for LHDs to pilot and operationalize the NACCHO-developed equity framework for Outbreak Response and Prevention in Healthcare Settings, as well as leverage the LHD Data Utilization and Management for Outbreak Response and Prevention in Healthcare Settings Guide and the Strategic Collaboration for Outbreak Response and Prevention in Healthcare Settings Guide to increase LHD capacity in the following areas:

• Support LHD capacity for an equity-focused approach to outbreak response and prevention in healthcare settings;
• Enhance skills to prevent, respond to, and monitor healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance (HAI/AR);
• Strengthen effective data utilization and management to support outbreak prevention and response within healthcare settings;
• Develop and identify resources, lessons learned, and best practices for other LHDs; and
• Build and sustain strategic collaborations and partnerships.

Participating sites were asked to share their experiences with the project and lessons learned for other local health departments.

Summary of DuPage County’s work

DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) staff analyzed and compared equity indicator data as well as facility outbreak outcomes for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) in their jurisdiction and summarized the findings for internal review. This was followed by using the data and metrics for pulling together equity indicators and creating an “SNF Facility Prioritization Framework” with criteria and recommended interventions to improve both proactive- and response-focused outreach to SNFs. View DuPage County’s story here. 

DuPage County Contact

Emily Murskyj, Epidemiology Supervisor
[email protected]

For more information on the PREPARE grant, email [email protected].