Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104144

George J. Graham, PhD, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 121 Washington Ave, Rm 103C, Lexington, KY 40536-0003, 859-257-5678, george.graham@uky.edu

During the time period between August 31, 2003, and August 30, 2004, BT preparedness exercises in the Commonwealth of Kentucky were evaluated using public health workforce preparedness competencies developed by Columbia University School of Nursing, Center for Health Policy. The target population of the evaluation was public health workers. A Bioterrorism Preparedness Evaluation questionnaire was developed and administered following BT exercises. Most of the BT exercises were tabletop and conducted by health departments or conducted by health departments in collaboration with the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. The primary objective of the evaluation project was to determine the gaps in public health workforce BT preparedness education. Gaps were identified and recommendations for improving the preparedness of the public health workforce were transmitted to the state Department for Public Health. This study is ongoing and funded by a grant to the University of Kentucky, College of Public Health, from the Department for Public Health as partial fulfillment of their Focus Area G efforts.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learners in this session will be ablto to

• Articulate the basic learning competencies fot BT preparedness.
• Create a data collection tool for use in post-testing BT preparedness exercises.
• Analyze data collected through use of a questionnaire.
• Evaluate BT preparedness of public health workers.

Keywords: Evaluation, Bioterrorism

Related Web page: cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nursing/institutes-centers/chphsr/btcomps.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.