This session will feature real-world, on-the-ground examples of how the Index is being used as a force of engagement, activation and improvement.  In pulling this event together, I am extremely fortunate to be joined by Dara Lieberman, MPP, of the Trust for America’s Health, and Darrell Small, CEM, an emergency management professional who works closely with the federal Community Preparedness Initiative in sites across the U.S.  Dara and Darrell have a wealth of experience on how to engage community and policy stakeholders in the work of preparedness, and how to use metrics as powerful levers in this task.

Along the way, I will foreshadow some of the new data and metrics that will be released later this spring as part of the 2019 release of the National Health Security Preparedness Index, coming in May.

The Index measures health security capabilities from a broad, multi-sector perspective, so it includes and extends beyond the public health sector to reach medical care, emergency management, transportation, schools, employers, civil engineers, public utilities and others.  But who plays the part of mobilizing, coordinating, and assessing these collective actions in preparedness? Who makes strategic use of data to drive the system as a whole forward?

Our Learning Session at the Preparedness Summit will be held on Thursday, March 28, 3:30-5 p.m., in Room 220 of the St Louis Convention Center Complex.  If you can’t make the Summit this year, look for our Index team at other meetings this spring and summer, including the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, the National Environmental Health Association Meeting, the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop, and more to come.

Glen P. Mays PhD, MPH is the chair and a professor in the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy in the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz. His research examines delivery and financing systems for health services, with a focus on estimating their effects on population health and economic efficiency.

The post Beyond the Numbers: Strategic Uses of the Index to Engage Communities and Shape Policies appeared first on NHSPI.

Results from the National Health Security Preparedness Index clearly demonstrate that health security is not simply a governmental responsibility.  Individual businesses and the private sector at large contribute to many of the health security measures that comprise the Index, such as by offering paid time off and telecommuting options for employees, promoting vaccination coverage in the workforce, supporting workers who train and volunteer for their local Medical Reserve Corps, and participating in emergency planning and exercises organized by regional healthcare coalitions and networks.

Panelists shared key insights for both health and business stakeholders as they consider strategies for strengthening health security and preparedness activities, including:

• The importance of leveraging the supply chain to prepare for events by collaborating on contingency plans to avoid large-scale business disruptions;
• Increasing awareness about the need for preparedness plans among the business community, especially for small businesses with little influence over suppliers;
• How business can foster social cohesion—often business owners work closely in the community and will need to rise above competition to recover from an adverse event;
• Businesses as a catalyst for volunteerism in their workforce; and
• Harnessing technology to plan, respond, and recover, for both large and small companies.

We also know health security and preparedness require cross-sector collaboration and a multipronged approach, and we were pleased that our participants joined from a variety of backgrounds. A plurality came from governmental public health, with significant representation from the private sector and academia.

Figure: Webinar attendees

The diversity of our attendees led to questions on a wide-range of topics, including:

• Global pandemics are arguably the only catastrophic threat that can simultaneously hit a business’s employees, customers, and suppliers worldwide. Do you think most corporate CEOs are fully aware of the risk and adequately engaged in ensuring that all parts of the house (business continuity, HR, medical services) are resourced and supported? Are most companies doing drills?
• As a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator through a Health Department, where should the line be drawn between helping private businesses to prepare vs. just working towards community preparedness?
• How do you handle the moral hazard aspect of private markets, like healthcare, that may see these regional treatment facilities as the primary source for handling high-consequence pathogens and therefore cut down on preparedness and training?

Panelists mentioned the following resources during the discussion:

• National Health Security Preparedness Index measures
• Intel CSR Report highlighting preparedness efforts
• Global Health Security Agenda: Private Sector Roundtable backgrounder

We are excited to continue engaging stakeholders from many different backgrounds and improving health security and preparedness in all communities. Follow the conversation on Twitter @NHSPIndex and stay tuned for more webinars on the role we all can play in health security.

Glen P. Mays PhD, MPH is the chair and a professor in the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy in the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz. His research examines delivery and financing systems for health services, with a focus on estimating their effects on population health and economic efficiency.

The post In Review: Business and Health Security: The Bottom Line on Preparedness appeared first on NHSPI.