Friday, March 14, 2025
3/14/2025
The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (NDDHHS), Public Health Division’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP) unit is organized within the Health Response and Licensure (HRL) Section, and managed by the HRL Section Director, Timothy Wiedrich. Purpose: The PHEP unit seeks to enhance the state’s ability to rapidly mobilize and respond to public health emergencies. North Dakota seeks to be pre-identified and pre-approved to receive funding for the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretarial declared and non-declared public health emergencies (PHE) that would have an overwhelming impact upon and exceed resources available to North Dakota. Outcomes: Program activities are designed to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality from public health incidents whose scale, rapid onset, or unpredictability stresses the public health systems and ensures the earliest possible recovery and return of the public health systems to pre-incident levels or improved functioning. Short- term outcomes include: • Prioritize public health services and resources sustained throughout all phases of emergencies and incidents • Earliest possible activation and management of emergency operations • Earliest possible identification and investigation of an incident • Timely implementation of intervention and control measures • Timely communication of risk and essential elements of information • Timely coordination and support of response activities with partners • Continuous learning and improvements contain real-time feedback loop Strategies and Activities: The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services will use capabilities to focus on the following strategies and conduct these activities for the public health systems: • Strengthen Incident Management for Early Crisis Response • Strengthen Information Management • Strengthen Countermeasures and Mitigation • Strengthen Surge Management • Strengthen Biosurveillance • Strengthen Jurisdictional Recovery The incident management processes that the NDDHHS have in place, ensure that we can respond to public health events or crises and support the Office of Homeland Security by leading Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 Public Health responses. The NDDHHS has a strong countermeasure and mitigation response role to ensure our residents have access to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions and to protect the health and safety of our public health responders.
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).