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What do all these changes mean for you and your family? In this post-9/11 era, you probably have lots of questions about what would happen in the event of a bioterror incident. In the past three years, North Carolina public health has worked to make your community safer, not just from bioterrorism but also from a range of potential health issues. Today, we can answer your questions.
How will I know if something happens in my community?
A key component in effective preparedness and response is communications. The ability to quickly notify the appropriate individuals and agencies at the local, regional and state level is critical to a successful response. The North Carolina Health Alert Network (NCHAN) began operating in Oct. 2002. This secure, Internet-based alerting system provides 24/7 flow of critical health information between North Carolina’s state and local health departments, hospital emergency departments, and law enforcement officials. This system has already helped protect your community. Officials were able to respond quickly to North Carolina’s SARS case, last summer’s West Nile Virus outbreak and this winter’s flu epidemic by using NCHAN.
As public health officials become aware of an outbreak, the information will be passed on to you as quickly as possible so you can take appropriate actions to protect yourself and your family. Information gathered through NCHAN will be broadcast and printed by the state’s media. You can also go to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Web site at www.dhhs.state.nc.us or call the department’s Care Line at 1-800-662-7030, or TTY service at 1-877-452-2514 to get up-to-date information.
How does public health gather this information?
New technology is improving the way health and medical professionals communicate with each other and how illness is tracked and reported. Because our state is a center for technological research and innovation, most of the improvements originated from North Carolina-based businesses – an advantage that has helped put us ahead of many other states. In addition to the Health Alert Network, Public Health has worked with a number of partners to create or expand information technology systems that advance health communications and disease surveillance.
How will we know what is affecting North Carolina?
A vital link in the state’s ability to detect and respond to a disease threat is laboratory capacity. This means that the state’s public health laboratories must be well-staffed, well-equipped and strategically located.
During the past three years North Carolina has expanded and improved its public health lab capacity. Today, the lab can deal with more diseases, more quickly.
“Speed is everything when it comes to a disease outbreak,” said Lab Director Lou Turner. “It doesn’t really matter if the outbreak is caused by man or by nature, the faster we can determine what it is, the faster we will be able to contain it.”
As a state, we are extraordinarily fortunate,” Dr. Turner said. “Our laboratory in Raleigh can now perform tests on agents or pathogens that require a Biosafety Level 3 rating. This means that many of the organic or environmental samples that used to be sent out of state for testing can now be done quickly and safely here in North Carolina .”
Equally positive is the fact that the state public health lab has established three new lab annexes to better serve counties and to conduct testing on a regional basis. These labs are located in Buncombe, Mecklenburg and Pitt counties.
“In addition to reducing the amount of time it might take to deliver a specimen, the regional labs add extra capacity,” Dr. Turner said. “This will be very important should we find ourselves in a situation similar to the anthrax crisis that took place in October 2001.”
Will there be enough medicine for everyone?
When people talk about the possibility of a biological attack or a massive disease outbreak, one of the biggest concerns they have is whether there will be enough medicine and other medical supplies available for everyone. That is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The stockpile is a national repository of medicines and medical supplies. The stockpile includes 50-ton containers that contain a broad range of medicines and can be delivered within 12 hours of a state’s request. States can also request specific medicines to deal with particular diseases or Chempacks to address chemical attacks or accidents.
Are there people in my community who can respond quickly, or will we have to wait for someone from Raleigh?
Individuals in their communities may well be the first to feel the effect of a bioterror attack or a major disease outbreak. Your local health department, hospital or family doctor may be the first to recognize the problem. In addition to your local resources, there are now seven Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams (PHRSTs), which were created to provide medical expertise and assistance from Manteo to Murphy. Teams are located in Buncombe, Mecklenburg , Guilford , Durham , Cumberland , Pitt and New Hanover counties. Each team includes a number of medical and environmental health professionals who assist each county in their region with preparedness planning, early detection and response. A map of the PHRSTs, along with contact numbers, is available on the back page of this supplement.
"It is great to know that we now have dedicated public health professionals at the regional level to assist our local health departments whenever needed," said Mimi Cooper, president of the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors.
How can I get involved in making my community safer?
You can join Citizen Corps, which was created after 9/11. People of all ages can participate in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds.
Groups of local leaders in 60 North Carolina communities have formed Citizen Corps Councils in an effort to expand opportunities for people in their community to engage in volunteer service that will support emergency preparation, prevention, and response. First responders (emergency managers, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS) have joined with elected officials and leaders from school systems, hospitals, churches, and volunteer organizations to form the Councils.
Citizen Corps Councils encourage people to participate in any of the following programs:
What if there is never a bioterror event?
You may not know it, but every day North Carolina state and local health departments in every county are working to protect and improve your health. Health departments across the state find out quickly about potential problems through the Health Alert Network. County lines, which may have impeded communication in the pre-9/11 world, aren’t an issue any more. Today, your local public health department knows immediately if there has been a potential problem in another county that might affect you. The fight against SARS, West Nile virus and influenza has all been improved thanks to these recent changes.
A good example is the public health response during Hurricane Isabel in Sept. 2003. As soon as the storm passed, staff from the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response headed to the coast and conducted a community health and needs assessment. Designed to speed up the recovery process following hurricanes or any other disaster with health implications, this concept has already proven its worth in our state.
“A rapid needs assessment helps state emergency and public health officials understand the nature and magnitude of human needs created by a disaster,” said Dr. Steve Cline, director of the state Epidemiology Section. “We go in immediately following a disaster to conduct door-to-door surveys that determine how citizens have been affected and what they need to stay healthy. These lessons learned can save lives in future disasters.”
North Carolina has come a long way in the past three years. You and your community are benefiting from these efforts. Keeping you and your family safe and healthy – no matter happens – is what public health is all about.
The Rutherford Polk McDowell District Health Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.
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