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Public Health Week 2008
Programs Profile

To respond effectively to disasters such as the recent floods in western Washington, everyone needs to be prepared. The Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response program helps public health and emergency response partners—including hospitals, tribes, schools, local governments, state agencies and community organizations—prepare together for public health emergencies.

We also help people in the state with personal preparedness through resources and information about public health emergencies, from bioterrorism issues to pandemic influenza.

We work with our partners to:

• Spot disease outbreaks as they begin to develop. New procedures, more effective data transmission and increased laboratory capacity allow us to collect and analyze more types of information more rapidly than before.

• Coordinate efforts and share resources. Local, state and regional plans help a wide variety of agencies work together in emergency situations; we test and revise all plans regularly. We also work with our partners statewide to help develop and maintain emergency resources.

• Encourage individuals to get ready. Through Web sites, printed information, radio and television public service announcements and other resources, we help people understand—and prepare for—public health emergencies.

Resources

Learn more about how you can prepare for emergencies:

• Emergency Resource Library - Fact sheets and translated materials: http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/factsheets.htm

• Emergency Preparedness Overview - Resources, information and links: http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/pheprgeninfo.htm

• Pandemic Influenza - What it is and how to prepare: http://www.doh.wa.gov/panflu/default.htm

• Recursos en Español - Emergency preparedness resources in Spanish: http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/spanish.htm