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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Elizabeth Petit de Mange, RN PhD, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, 10 Villa Circle, Berlin, NJ 08009, 609-567-3969, epetitdemang@comcast.net

The chaos, loss of life and loss of public trust that followed the 9/11 attacks and hurricane Katrina highlight the need for a comprehensive disaster plan and public education at the local level. The significance of public trust in elected and appointed government officials and health providers must be addressed rigorously by local governments and communities. This presentation will provide an overview of the proactive stance taken by a local Board of Health in a large rural township in southern New Jersey to address the challenges of a potential avian flu pandemic at the local level. A step by step overview of the planning process undertaken by the Board of Health to address a potential flu pandemic, will be presented. The potential expansion of the project to address other potential man made and natural disasters will also be discussed. The presentation will describe the obstacles and challenges addressed by the Board of Health members such as partisanship, lack of knowledge, community fear, ignorance and budget constraints to developing a local disaster plan. Resources available to the local communities such as local health professionals and the county health departments will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to

• Identify barriers and facilitators for local disaster planning.
• List 3 strategies to proactively address the potential avian flu pandemic at the local level.
• Identify local, state and federal resources to develop a plan of action to address potential disasters at the local level.

Keywords: Community Planning, Disasters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered