Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Utah PHEP Project Abstract CDC-RFA-TP19-1901 The goal of the Utah Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program is to assure a well-coordinated, equipped, trained, and tiered system of response to public health emergencies and disasters in Utah. The Utah PHEP is designed to address all PHEP capabilities, Cities Readiness, and Medical Countermeasures initiatives by working in partnership with UDOH State Lab, UDOH Bureau of Epidemiology, Utah’s Local Health Departments, Utah’s Tribal Nations, and with other state, Region 8, and Federal partners. Through the support of a Program Advisory Committee, the Utah PHEP maintains close coordination with numerous external partners throughout the state. The program is supported administratively by the Preparedness Programs Manager and Preparedness Programs Specialist. Twenty-three additional UT DOH staff (and also a CDC Preparedness Field Assignee) are funded under the PHEP program to address specific program capabilities at varying FTE levels (Total FTE – 14.4, between Lab, Epi, Preparedness). In-kind and matching support is provided by UDOH and LHD partners through contributions of time and effort toward completing program objectives at their respective agencies through state or locally funded activities. Each partner has a system in place to track and report matching funds. Thirteen LHDs serve as hosting sites for PHEP subawardee Emergency Response Coordination (ERC) teams. ERC bring together multiple partners within LHD geographic areas to conduct assessment, preparedness planning, response coordination, development of regional equipment caching, and training and exercise activity. Utah’s LHDs maintain the primary responsibility for MCM dispensing to open and closed POD partners in Utah, as supported by UDOH. LHDs also serve as hosting agencies for the development, training, and deployment of Medical Reserve Corps units. UDOH maintains a Governance Committee composed of UDOH and LHD leadership to review and approve proposed budgets and project deliverables. PHEP continues to maintain essential state-level services to support response across all levels and geographic scales. PHEP support for information and communication systems includes the Utah Notification and Information System (Utah’s Health Alert Network), UT-NEDSS integrated disease surveillance system, support for ELR, eCR, and syndromic surveillance data feeds, and numerous State Lab electronic services and reporting tools. The Preparedness portion of the PHEP focuses on developing community partnerships, ensuring continuity, developing all-hazards plans, ensuring support for incident command systems, participation in information systems and public messaging, addressing facility management, mass care issues, medical surge, volunteers, and coordination and oversight of medical countermeasures programs implemented in local areas. The Bureau of Epidemiology and Utah Public Health Lab focus on early recognition of threats, and information sharing, through maintenance of LRNB and LRNC lab capacity and improving established information systems. Since 2002, the various programs and agencies that work under PHEP have grown stronger, and more aligned, to ensure excellent support for Utah’s residents and public health systems to respond to a disaster or infectious disease outbreak.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
