Iowa Public Health Emergency Preparedness 2024-2029 - Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS)’s 2024-2028 Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program aims to improve public health preparedness, response, and recovery skills and abilities throughout the state of Iowa. Created using a progressive approach to activities and exercises, Iowa HHS’s proposed project will achieve these goals by conducting exercises, incorporating partners from a variety of sectors into planning and exercises, and prioritizing health equity and workforce development. As in previous years, IA HHS will work to find and fill gaps in existing preparedness plans, improve response infrastructure, and provide technical assistance and support to local Service Areas. By the end of budget period (BP) 2, Iowa HHS and partners anticipate meeting the following outcomes identified by the CDC: 1) refined risk assessment for equitable community planning that address prioritized populations for all jurisdictional threats; 2) completed exercise requirements that identify areas for improved readiness, response, and recovery; 3) modernized electronic data systems to advance timely identification and reporting of incidents or events that require public health action; 4) improved capacity of public health laboratory networks and surveillance systems to detect and report existing and emerging public health threats; 5) revamped communication strategies and tools; 6) developed and maintained partnerships to ensure messages and dissemination strategies are effective for the whole community; 7) established mechanisms to meet administrative, workforce, and response surge requirements; 8) revamped preparedness training requirements to promote readiness, response, recovery, and resiliency; and 9) established communities of practice focused on readiness, response, and recovery guidance and resources. By the end of BP4, IA HHS will have: 1) improved public health readiness, response, and recovery capability that follows standardized emergency management practices; 2) implemented timely public health recommendations and control measures for all hazards; 3) earliest identification and investigation of incidents with public health impact; 4) enhanced ability of laboratories to respond to public health incidents by applying modern methods; 5) timely communication of situational awareness and risk information; 6) timely coordination and support of response and recovery activities with health care systems and partners; 7) integrated equity into public health response and recovery; 8) increased hiring and retention of surge staff resources; 9) prepared public health workforce ready to sustain public health investigations, response, and recovery; and 10) active engagement in communities of practice. Iowa HHS and local partners plan to meet the following outcomes identified by CDC by the end of the 5-year project period: 1) earliest possible recovery and return of the public health system to pre-incident levels or improved functioning; and 2) prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality for all impacted populations from incidents with public health consequences whose scale, rapid onset, or unpredictability stresses the public health system. This work will be conducted with the ultimate goal to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality from public health incidents and return the public health system to normal or a new normal as early as possible.
