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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jee Kim, MPH, Office of Organizational Development and Training, Los Angeles County -Department of Health Services - Public Health, 241 N. Figueroa St. Ste. 306, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-240-7968, jeekim@ladhs.org, Noel Bazini-Barakat, RN, MSN, MPH, Organization Development and Training, Los Angeles County, 241 N. Figueroa St. Ste. 306, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Karen Garman, EdD, Healthcare Education, Leadership and Performance, 4697 Edison Street, San Diego, CA 92117, and Bridget A. Ward, MS, RN, LA County - Department of Health Services - Public Health, Organizational Development and Training, 241 N. Figueroa St., Room 306A, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Emergency preparedness and response have become one of the top priorities for Public Health (PH). In the process of planning a response to PH emergencies, there is an increased recognition of the critical role PH staff will play. However, concerns have risen among PH staff about their readiness personally and professionally to actualize the expectation to report for emergency-related duties. In response to these concerns, Los Angeles County PH developed the first of a series of courses for PH employees to create a culture shift concerning the response needed should a county-wide emergency occur. All 3,700 employees within Los Angeles County PH were required to attend this course, of which 3,354 were trained within 90 days. One goal was to increase awareness of PH staff's personal vulnerability to disasters using a self assessment tool. Another goal was to support staff concerns regarding meeting personal and family responsibilities during emergencies by facilitating the development of personal and family emergency plans. Another goal was to increase knowledge of the Incident Command System and their role as PH employees in an emergency. An interactive dynamic learning tool was developed and utilized to apply the concepts presented during the course. An overview of the course and learning tool will be provided as well as results from the evaluation and competency tools.

Learning Objectives: