Press Releases
Year
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Provides Funding to Local Agency to Increase Pandemic Preparedness & Awareness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2008
Contact
Julie Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Provides Funding to Local Agency to Increase Pandemic Preparedness & Awareness
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Create Communitywide Pandemic Planning Task-Force
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has received $578,000 from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to help increase pandemic flu awareness and preparedness in Champaign County. Illinois is one of only nine states and areas in the nation to receive funding for the “Collaborative Planning for Delivery of Essential Healthcare Services” project sponsored by the CDC. Other recipients include Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York City, Oregon, and Virginia.
CUPHD will use this grant to build on the outcome of its workshop with the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion / Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education that occurred in Indiana earlier this year. CUPHD plans to work with a collaboration of community partners and leaders to develop practical strategies to deliver healthcare to those at home, within the community, and in the hospital in the event of a pandemic flu. The collaboration will begin by identifying the issues and obstacles in the current healthcare system’s response and in any existing area pandemic flu preparedness plans.
“A coordinated approach among state, county and local health departments is essential to ensuring the health and safety of our communities during a pandemic influenza as well as other health emergencies.” said Dr. Damon T. Arnold, Illinois Department of Public Health Director. “The Illinois Department of Public Health was pleased to help the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District secure funding to assist with the creation of a local pandemic flu response plan, exercises and other preparedness efforts that can be applied to other communities and benefit the entire state.”
CUPHD has proposed to utilize the grant in the following ways:
- Form, support, and lead a Task-Force for Pandemic Flu Response that will plan and assist CUPHD with project activities to improve Champaign County’s response in the delivery of essential healthcare services during a pandemic.
- Plan, execute and evaluate table-top exercises with appropriate Champaign County healthcare partners to test the delivery of essential healthcare services during a pandemic.
- Contract with expert consultants to assist at least fifteen Champaign County healthcare agencies or other identified critical infrastructure entities, write continuity of operation plans.
- Contract with the University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications to develop and successfully test a syndromic surveillance system specific to the needs of the Champaign-Urbana and make this application freely available to all local health departments in Illinois.
- Plan, host, and conduct a seminar in collaboration with Toronto Health Department to discuss the lessons learned from Toronto’s experience with the 2003 SARS outbreak.
- Aggressively market and conduct Town Hall meetings and community events about pandemic flu for the public to both educate and solicit public comment on pandemic flu and other public health emergency preparedness planning.
“In today’s global society, it is no longer a question of “if” there will be a full scale pandemic disaster that will affect Champaign County, but a matter of “when.’” said Julie A. Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator. “This grant is providing an incredible opportunity for our community leaders to work together to provide a comprehensive pandemic plan. It is better to have a plan and no pandemic, than a pandemic with no plan.”
For more information on the Champaign County pandemic preparedness, basic emergency preparedness or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.Stock2forFlu or www.c-uphd.org.
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CUPHD Encourages Local Community To Go To The Polls For Voting And Vaccination!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2008
Contact
Julie Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
CUPHD Encourages Local Community To Go To The Polls For Voting And Vaccination!
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Hold Flu Shot Clinics at Polling Places as Part of National Initiative
Champaign, IL – On Election Day 2008, those who go to polling places in Champaign-Urbana may find that they can do more than vote – they can also get a flu shot. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be having three mobile flu shot clinics at local polling places as part of a nationwide pilot program to help improve the health of all Americans. CUPHD is one of a growing number of health organizations across the county participating in “Vote & Vax”, a national project to encourage the hosting of flu clinics at polling sites on Election Day. As an added value service, CUPHD will also be offering FREE blood screenings for prostate cancer (PSA) for all interested men over 40.
CUPHD will be at the following polling sites this Election Day from 7:00am – 7:00pm:
- Meadowbrook Community Church; 1902 South Duncan Road, Champaign
- Sunnycrest Mall; Urbana
- Olive Baptist Church; 808 East Bradley Avenue, Champaign
“This is a great opportunity for everyone, but particularly adults age 50 and older who are especially vulnerable to illness during flu season, to safely and conveniently receive a flu shot from a friendly CUPHD team member, while also voting,” said Candi Crause, Acting Director of Infectious Disease Prevention & Management for CUPHD. “This Election Day, more than 100 million Americans are expected to vote at their local community polling places. The “Vote & Vax” project provides a good solution to help our community protect its health during the upcoming flu season.”
Each year, as many as 60 million people in the United States come down with the flu. Hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and more than 36,000 people die as a result of the flu. The majority of those who die are adults age 50 and older.
It is important that people take all precautions to ensure they stay healthy. This is why CUPHD is providing voters and other community members with easy access to flu shots at polling places to help protect their health and the health of their community.
“Election Day represents a good opportunity for us to make contact with a large cross section of the community,” said Julie A. Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator. “Great effort is expended on Election Day to get people to the polls. Because of this, CUPHD can potentially vaccinate many people who may otherwise not be reached.”
For more information on the Vote & Vax Program, the CUPHD Mobile Program or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Community Leaders Meet with Toronto Health Officials to Discuss SARS & Pandemic Flu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2008
Contact
Julie Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Community Leaders Meet with Toronto Health Officials to Discuss SARS & Pandemic Flu
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Hosts Summit on Champaign County Emergency Preparedness
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness Summit on November 4, 2008 at the ILEAS Training Center at 1701 East Main Street in Urbana from 8:30am – 3:30pm. CUPHD has invited three key members from Toronto Public Health to meet with Champaign County community leaders to detail the importance of emergency preparedness in a pandemic situation, and the lessons learned from the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak.
Toronto Health Officials will include:
- Lisa Berger - MD, CCFP, FRCPC, AMOH; Associate Medical Officer of Health
- Peter Macintyre; Manager of Emergency Medical Services
- Gerilynne F. Nephew – RN, BScN, DPA; Manager of Pandemic Influenza Planning & Preparedness
“In today’s global society, it is no longer a question of “if” there will be a full scale pandemic disaster that will affect Champaign County, but a matter of “when.’” said Julie A. Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator. “This summit is providing an incredible opportunity for our community leaders to meet and discuss emergency preparedness with professionals that have faced the challenges in their own community and can share valuable lessons and insight.”
During the summit, attendees will be divided into groups representing Health Care, Emergency Services and Community. These groups will work independently with a Toronto Official to create a framework of critical planning for each sector in the event of a full scale pandemic emergency in Champaign County. Groups will be encouraged to dissect current plans and strengthen where necessary or create new plans to address additional issues that might be brought to light through the Toronto experience. Designated attendees will then meet on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at CUPHD to participate in a pandemic tabletop exercise illustrating the plans and possible outcomes from the previous day’s training.
For more information on the Champaign County Preparedness Summit, emergency preparedness or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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