Public Health Preparedness
The need for the public to be prepared and informed on potential health issues has never been greater. With the emerging health threats from infectious diseases, environmental issues, and biological and radiological terrorism, the public is concerned.
Federal, state, and local public health agencies turn to ORISE for help in educating our nation’s citizens on these and other hot health topics.
To communicate effectively with the public, health officials and public affairs personnel must understand these issues themselves.
To educate those who can be a key resource to the public, ORISE combines its knowledge of effective health communications with its training expertise to develop customized solutions that include:
- thorough communications plans
- traditional and technology-based training design, development, and delivery
- message development/testing and media analysis
- exercise and drill development and facilitation
- train-the-trainer and facilitator instruction
Project Examples
Pandemic and Avian Influenza Preparedness Tabletop Exercises
Building on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Preparedness Table Exercise designed for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ORISE is developing a Web-based needs assessment to identify additional training needs related to communicable diseases. ORISE will then use the assessment to develop and conduct tabletop exercises at pre-selected U.S. cities.
Pandemic Influenza Communication Plan
ORISE is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs to lead the development of an integrated interagency approach to crisis communication in the event of an influenza pandemic.
National Resource Manual for Communicable Diseases that are Quarantinable
This manual provides information and guidance to federal, state, and local agencies involved in both planning for and responding to a quarantinable, communicable disease incident at an international airport.
TOPOFF 3 Public Affairs Exercise Support
The Top Officials (TOPOFF) 3 Exercise allowed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) to assess its ability to communicate effectively during an “Incident of National Significance.” ORISE enhanced ASPA involvement in TOPOFF 3 by developing ASPA exercise objectives and creating a robust control and evaluation structure.
Emergency Risk Communication (ERC)
Working with the CDC, ORISE has developed ERC CDCynergy: a step-by-step tutorial and performance support tool to help federal, state, and local public health communicators systematically plan, implement, and evaluate emergency communications.
