Nashville, TN – Two regional and two metro health departments in Tennessee have been recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials for their ability to plan for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies.
The East and Upper Cumberland regional heath offices, along with the Jackson-Madison County and Sullivan County Health Departments, earned the recognition.
The four Tennessee health programs join an elite group; less than 400 local health departments from 2,800 across the country have been distinguished for excellence in preparedness through PPHR, either individually or as part of a region.
“This recognition confirms there is a thorough and coordinated emergency response plan in place and that staff have the training to protect the health of the community during an emergency,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “This honor is well-deserved because it reflects tremendous effort, dedication, creativity and cooperation on the part of our entire team of experts. Still, the most important factor in determining whether we succeed in responding to an emergency will be the actions of our citizens in advance planning, cooperating with authorities and helping each other in a time of duress.”
“All disasters strike locally, and local health departments are a critical part of any community’s first response to disease outbreaks, emergencies and acts of terrorism,” said NACCHO Executive Director Robert Pestronk. “NACCHO commends these Tennessee programs for being models of public health emergency preparedness.”
NACCHO, the voice of the 2,800 local health departments across the country, provides resources to help local health department leaders develop public health policies and programs to ensure communities have access to vital programs and services people need to keep them protected from disease and disaster.
Its mission is to be a leader, partner, catalyst and voice for local health departments to ensure the conditions that promote health and equity, combat disease and improve the quality and length of all lives.
For more information on Project Public Health Ready, including recognized sites, project tools and resources, visit www.naccho.org/PPHR .
About the Tennessee Department of Health
The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. For more information about TDH services and programs, visit http://health.state.tn.us/.
