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Turning point sets the stage for emergency preparedness planning.
1Turning Point National Program Office, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, 6 Nickerson Street, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice : JPHMP
|October 27, 2004
Summary
State health departments can improve emergency response by leveraging existing partnerships. Prior experience with broad-based collaborations enhances preparedness and efficiency when federal funding is available.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Policy
- Emergency Preparedness
Background:
- Federal grants totaling nearly $1 billion were allocated to state health departments in 2002 for emergency preparedness.
- Twenty-one states were already engaged in The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Turning Point Initiative, focusing on public health practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate how prior experience in developing cross-sector collaborations can enhance public health emergency response.
- To demonstrate the effectiveness of institutionalized, broad-based partnerships in public health decision-making.
Main Methods:
- The study examines the experiences of states participating in the Turning Point Initiative.
- It analyzes how established collaborative models influenced the utilization of federal emergency preparedness funds.
Main Results:
- States with existing cross-sector collaborations and partnership models were better positioned to respond to emergency preparedness funding opportunities.
- Earlier practice in forming broad-based partnerships increased the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency response planning.
Conclusions:
- Institutionalizing a model of broad-based partnerships is crucial for effective public health emergency preparedness.
- Leveraging existing collaborative structures can optimize the use of federal resources for public health emergencies.