Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Background: Public health threats of potentially catastrophic proportion underscore the importance of effective planning and response capabilities that can be applied to all hazards. As new threats emerge, including novel infectious diseases, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) must ensure that both medical and public health systems are integral parts of emergency preparedness planning and response activities. Cooperation among responders, including state and local public health officials, emergency medical services (EMS), health care coalitions (HCCs), emergency management agencies (EMAs), and private health care organizations, ensure the nation is prepared to respond to all hazards. Governmental public health departments and the mostly private sector health care delivery systems are now recognized as essential partners in emergency response, increasing their ability to identify and mitigate potential threats to the public’s health. The aligned HPP-PHEP cooperative agreement provides technical assistance and resources to support Tennessee State and local public health departments, along with HCCs and health care organizations, to show measurable and sustainable progress toward achieving the preparedness and response capabilities that promote prepared and resilient communities. In recent history, Tennessee has experienced a wide range of public health threats and emergencies requiring decisive action by our HPP-PHEP-funded Emergency Preparedness program staff, HCCs, and other partners. Past responses include the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, 2012 Fungal Infections Outbreak, 2013 Jefferson County Interstate Bus Crash, 2014-15 Ebola response, 2015 Blount County Train Derailment, 2016 Zika response, and the 2016 Gatlinburg Wildfire response. Methods: This crisis response funding opportunity will enable Tennessee to strengthen levels of effectiveness across six key preparedness domains: incident management for early crisis response, jurisdictional recovery, biosurveillance, information management, countermeasures and mitigation, and surge management. Improved planning and response coordination across all levels will present new opportunities to leverage resources while maximizing positive impact, resulting in increased efficiency. Results: Short term outcomes will include: • timely situational awareness of statewide public health and medical resources, • rapid assessment of essential elements of information, • enhanced epidemiologic and laboratory investigation, • mitigation of medical surge, • communication of information to at-risk populations, • environment for learning to include an integrated stakeholder driven planning process, and • demonstration of administrative/fiscal preparedness through streamlined allocation of funds, contracts, and procurement. Conclusion: TDH aims to demonstrate superior response, planning, training, and operational readiness to improve outcomes and mitigate negative health impacts on our communities.
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).