H1N1: Public health response at the local level

Novel influenza A (H1N1) appeared in April 2009 as an new flu that brought a flurry of public health activity to help communicate risk, mitigate adverse consequences, and to prepare for a potential pandemic. Local public health departments faced a number of challenges to help identify positive cases, prevent the spread of disease, consider enforcement of isolation or possible quarantine, keep up with daily changes in guidance from the CDC and inform local communities about the highly visible strain of flu. This session will describe local public health interventions in two different states, from the onset of H1N1 until November, 2009, with a focus on the response of public health nurses. Registered Nurses are critical to any local health department's success in responding to public health emergencies. Their training in the nursing process can assist teams who have limited knowledge or experience in the Incident Command System to quickly identify and solve problems as well as disseminate critical communication. Participants will have the opportunity to compare challenges, best practices, and successful interventions that helped local areas link effectively with state and federal resources to prepare for and to effectively deal with the epidemic.