Restructuring regional preparedness: Are new teams providing more services to local health departments?

In 2001, North Carolina established 7 regional teams to build and support local capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health events. Teams provided services to a designated regional group of local health departments (LHDs) ranging in number from 7 – 17, with an average of 12 counties. Based on funding reductions and evaluation data, the regional teams were restructured in 2011. There are now 4 teams providing services to LHDs (Range: 11-33; Mean: 25). Each team has a standard composition and members are now state employees reporting directly to the NC Division of Public Health.

In 2009, the North Carolina Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (NC PERRC) at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health administered a web-based survey to preparedness coordinators based at LHDs across North Carolina. The survey gathered data on the range and frequency of support regional teams provided, as well as variations among services provided by different teams.

In 2013, NC PERRC re-assessed the new regional teams using the same assessment instrument. We will present data on differences in the amount and quality of services provided by the new teams in 7 categories, including communication and liaison support, exercises, epidemiology and surveillance, planning, consultation and technical assistance, training, and public health event response. In addition, we will report on any significant variation by region in both the quantity and quality of services reported by LHDs.