Kentucky Outreach and Information Network (KOIN)

KOIN constitutes a partnership between government and an organized network of community-based organizations that serve as conduits of preparedness and emergency information to special needs populations. It is a grassroots approach to outreach and communication among populations that may be hard to reach with mainstream media or traditional communication channels (i.e., people > 65, the large Vietnamese immigrant population in Kentucky, and the blind and deaf). The program's comprehensive materials and approach set a standard for public health outreach to special populations, and KOIN served as the basis for many of the CDC's special needs recommendations. Aspects of the KOIN partnership may be applicable for state and local jurisdictions, although densely populated urban settings may require greater channels of communications.