Public Health Practices

A memorandum has been developed and signed between Purdue University and the Tippecanoe County Health Department that allocates responsibility between the Health Department and the University for activities related to the prophylaxis of students, employees, dependents, and others according to eligibility guidelines as determined by the health department in the event of a public health emergency.

The Closed Dispensing Site Workbook is designed to help community organizations become closed dispensing sites to administer medication to their staff and/or clients during an emergency. The workbook is an alternative to traditional prophylaxis dispensing site and is intended to disburse preventive medication to an entire population within 48 hours.

The Oklahoma Department of Health developed a Push Partner Program in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21, which asked all communities to be prepared to provide prophylaxis to their entire population within 48 hours. The "push" strategy involves distributing medications to partner agencies, which then dispense the medications to their employees, employees' family members, and the agencies' clients.

The Extended Childcare materials provide a process through which state employees could contract childcare services if they are required to respond to an emergency. This practice may be seen as an all-hazards approach to recognizing and assessing childcare availability as a potential barrier to HCWs' willingness to work during a pandemic.