A community partnership to respond to an outbreak: a model that can be replicated for future events

Publication Date

2014

Journal Title

Prog Community Health Partnersh

Abstract

THE PROBLEM: Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH) found itself in the midst of the initial U.S. outbreak of the H1N1 influenza global pandemic. A coordinated, collaborative approach to address the outbreak was needed. Yet, a description of a multisector community partnership during an influenza pandemic has not been described in the literature. PURPOSE: This article reports the efforts taken by a local health department to partner with the community utilizing a three-phase model to communicate, plan, and implement a strategy to ease the fear that existed and to minimize the illness in the region. This article describes in detail critical components of the community wide partnership. Lessons learned from this event are highlighted which have implications for future public health policy. KEY POINTS: The key points to the article are that there are three critical phases to successful community partnership during an influenza outbreak: Communication, planning, and implementation. The learning points include that communication is paramount, creation of partnerships is vital to a successful implementation phase, and public health funds are leveraged more effectively by collaborating with community partners. CONCLUSION: The NCDOH's multisector partnership with hospitals, physicians, and community organizations to address the H1N1influenza pandemic was nontraditional and allowed for leveraging of public health resources. The three-phase model can be replicated for future infectious disease outbreaks.

Volume Number

8

Issue Number

4

Pages

531-40

Document Type

Article

EPub Date

2014/01/01

Status

Faculty

Facility

School of Medicine

Primary Department

Geriatric and Palliative Medicine

Additional Departments

Emergency Medicine

PMID

25727986

DOI

10.1353/cpr.2014.0065

Comments

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