Public Health Practices

Resource and equipment shortages are one of the largest obstacles hospitals and clinics face to providing patient care during a widespread public health emergency. The Minnesota Department of Health developed a list of strategies and recommendations for extending use of supplies when healthcare resources are scarce.

Concerned about the inability of large numbers of uninsured people to access care early in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, an Oregon regional preparedness organization partnered with public health, care providers, and community organizations to create a flu-related care delivery system exclusively for uninsured and low-income people.

Stakeholders formed partnerships, created tools, and expanded the Seattle region's capacity to ensure continuity of care for opioid treatment patients during a disaster.

Five southern states built a network that increased regional capacity for pediatric care following a disaster.

As part of the 2009-2010 Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) grant, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) partnered with the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) to design and conduct the three-day Colorado Hospital Mass Fatality Summit to prepare Colorado hospitals for managing a mass fatality event.

Harmonizing public health and healthcare practices across jurisdictions can be difficult in the best of times and an even more daunting challenge during an emergency. Yet partners in Oregon were quickly able to develop regional comprehensive policies that received speedy support from hospitals and health systems, allowing for consistent approaches in H1N1 response.

Competing healthcare systems in South Dakota worked together for several months to offer free H1N1 vaccine to the public. Avera Health and Sanford Health are two large healthcare systems that serve rural eastern South Dakota, while Rapid City Regional Health serves the western part of the state. South Dakota only has one local health department in Sioux Falls, so less populated areas rely on the services of the state health department's community health nurses.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health (DHH OPH) modified its web-based immunization registry specifically for a pandemic influenza response. Prior to the 2009 H1N1 response effort, the Louisiana Immunization Network for Kids Statewide (LINKS) system was used solely for provider identification, recruitment and immunization registration. It is estimated that in 2005, this system saved more than $5 million during the Hurricane Katrina response.