 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908-5097, 401-222-2231, pnolan@doh.state.ri.us
Tough budget times in state and local governments have reduced resources for basic public health services. Demands for emergency response capacity regarding bioterrorism escalated. USDHHS successfully got money to states and some local governments. Using this finding to meet public health goals as well as bioterrorism response takes creativity and both political and practcal partnerships. Using two principles, we have had some success in Rhode Island: 1) In an emergency, we do best when we ramp up what we do every day, and 2) In a partnership, some important needs of each partner must be met, now or in the future. Emphasis on understanding what key partners do every day and how to parlay that into effective emergency responses guided communication, training and practical interactions and helped develop trust among key partners. Recognizing the needs of key partners led to productive funding decisions and built political capital. Of course, some things did not work well. This paper presents lessons learned in three years of developing bioterrorism response capacity and struggling to assure public health improvements in a small city-state environment.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Core Functions
Related Web page: www.health.ri.gov
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Rhode Island Department of Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: director of the department and an
employee of the state of Rhode Island