|
|||
For the second consecutive year, Louisiana received a perfect score on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) evaluation of the state's public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Louisiana is one of only seven states to score 100 two years in a row. Louisiana's public health laboratories also received exemplary marks. The CDC's "Public Health Preparedness: 2011 State-by-State Update on Laboratory Capabilities and Response Readiness Planning" report evaluates the state over a three-year period, from 2007-2010. In the report, all 50 states and 4 localities directly funded by the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement were graded on their ability to effectively receive and distribute the CDC's Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), a cache of drugs and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. The CDC and state public health departments conduct annual technical assistance reviews (TAR) to assess emergency preparedness plans for receiving, staging, storing, distributing and dispensing the SNS to ensure continued readiness for all disasters. The state must attain a score of 79 or higher in order to continue to receive preparedness funding from the federal government. The report also evaluated states' public health laboratories. The DHH labs received high marks for their ability to test for and detect chemical and biological agents and their ability to assist DHH epidemiologists in carrying out epidemiological surveillance for early detection of potential threats. |
|||
Company
Journal
Community
Resources
US HEALTHCARE JOURNALS © 2011 • 17732 Highland Road, Suite G-137 • Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810 • Phone 225.302.7500 Privacy Policy
