The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is committed to protecting the public’s health in the City of Chicago. To accomplish this goal, CDPH is proposing to utilize emergency Federal funding from the Public Health Crisis Response cooperative agreement to rapidly mobilize, surge, and respond to the next high consequence infectious disease (HCID), such as a novel strain of pandemic influenza.
CDPH will enhance operations of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) and regularly update plans and workforce trained in key response plans and incident management principles. Utilizing information resources such as Census and EmPOWER data, disease surveillance, and the Chicago Health Atlas, CDPH will identify vulnerable populations at greatest risk during a HCID to provide targeted messaging for information management. CDPH will also acquire personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals for protection, treatment, and prophylaxis of first responders, and activate points of distribution (PODs) throughout the City.
In collaboration with CDC, local, and state partners, CDPH will ensure all required surveillance data is submitted in a timely fashion and all trainings and exercises are coordinated to address performance measures. These activities will enable the City to prevent and reduce morbidity and mortality from an outbreak that stresses the public health and health care systems, and to ensure the earliest possible recovery and return to pre-incident levels or improved functioning.