Public Health Preparedness: Protecting Oregonians Today and Every Day January 24, 2008

Events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 have moved emergency preparedness to the forefront of the media spotlight and the public eye. Public health departments, however, have been working for years to map out strategies for when, not if, such disasters occur. In a state as diverse as Oregon — with its coastal communities, populous urban centers and rural counties — emergency preparedness becomes particularly challenging.

How does the state balance scarce resources and the public interest? In an emergency situation, efficient communication is critical. What efforts are underway to ensure interagency collaboration in our state? Public health and safety for large numbers of people is all about minute details. Between such issues, for example, as clean air and water, exit strategies for coastal towns, sewage runoff and pandemic flu, how are priorities set for emergency preparedness? How can we, as health industry stakeholders, neighbors and families, help create informed communities for the inevitable?
Join us at the start of the year for an update on how Oregon’s public health leaders are helping prepare our communities for any emergency, whether natural disaster or health related.

Moderator:
Thomas Bruner, CEO, American Red Cross, Oregon Trail Chapter

Panelists:
Susan Allan, MD, JD, MPH, Public Health Director, Oregon Department of Human Services
Bill Emminger, Deputy Administrator, Environmental Health Division, Benton County Health Department
Mike Leahy, retired CEO, OCHIN; former Administrator, Tillamook County Health Department
Lillian Shirley, BSN, MPH, MPA, Director, Multnomah County Health Department

The event is at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Please call our office at (503) 226-7870 or follow the link below to sign up.

Official Website: http://www.healthforum.org/events/breakfastforums.html