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 Kern County Public Health’s Work

Kern County Public Health (KCPH), CA, driven by a strong desire to improve communication across Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and facilitate more efficient and effective disease investigations. At the time, Infection Preventionists (IPs) in many facilities were sporadic in their responsiveness to KCPH outreach—via email, phone, or other methods—which made investigations into healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) burdensome and time-intensive. KCPH saw the PREPARE Project as an opportunity not only to strengthen its epidemiological capabilities, but also to prioritize infection control strategies using health equity as a guiding framework.

You can view Kern County’s story here. 

KCPH Contact

Brayden Houser, Public Health Project Specialist
[email protected] 

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

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