Center for BioPreparedness 

 

The Florida Public Health Institute (FPHI) recently worked on a national project for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) that identified successful public/private partnerships for pandemic flu preparedness between local health departments, public health institutes, universities and private business. FPHI prepared five case studies (Boston, Massachusetts; West Palm Beach, Florida; Seattle, Washington, Columbia, South Carolina; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) of successful partnerships, researched a best practice models national scan and developed material for a web-based resource tool kit.  This tool kit was created to support the development and implementation of community mitigation measures taken to limit the spread and reduce the impact of influenza, or other infectious disease. Information was provided on how partnerships were formed between local health departments and businesses, how project priorities were determined and creative ways these partnerships functioned in order to enhance community preparedness planning and response.

To date, little has been published about the effects and lessons learned from the novel H1N1 virus epidemic.  FPHI undertook a review of the literature and there was virtually no information available specific to public/private partnerships addressing HIN1.  This project provides some of the best information thus far about model projects between governmental public health and the private business community.  These five communities demonstrate replicable models that should be of interest to public health institutes, public health departments and private businesses.

Click here for information on emergency preparedness planning. 

NAACHO Pan Flu Preparedness (Additional Resources)