Center for Rural Health Practice (CRHP)Rural Public Health Practice
The University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice (CRHP) is the rural coordinating unit of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Public Health Preparedness (UPCPHP), assuring that new training initiatives reflect issues related to rural health preparedness.
Projects
- Rural Preparedness Training Programs
- Courthouse Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies
In the Spotlight
Preparedness Summit 2009
More than 1500 preparedness professionals from around the country – including from Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Erie and Allegheny County Health Departments and the Pennsylvania Department of Health – gathered in San Diego for the 2009 Public Health Preparedness Summit (February 18–20, 2009).
Rural Preparedness Training Programs
Why Rural Preparedness Training
PubMed - Rural preparedness entries, all dates
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has one of the nation's largest rural populations with estimates of more than 2.8 million rural residents. Forty-eight of Pennsylvania's 67 counties are classified rural, and 18 of the remaining 19 counties have rural municipalities.
Pennsylvania also has the lowest ratio of public health workers to population in the nation; 37 per 100,000. These workers are mostly concentrated in urban areas and are largely comprised of the staffs of the state health department and 10 independent health departments. To assure continuity with the integrated emergency management system, it is critical that all of these responders understand and fulfill the role of public health relative to emergency preparedness.
About the Rural Preparedness Training Program
Rural preparedness training is unique in providing a rare opportunity for the non-traditional secondary responder to meet face-to-face and train with their community’s first responders. We know of no other class that brings such a diverse audience to the table to better understand each other’s roles, responsibilities, and expectations. As an example, our audiences include public health and emergency medical personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, hazardous materials response teams, public works and engineering firms, hospital and healthcare providers, state and local government officials, school administrators and school nurses, elected representatives, agriculture veterinary services, dispatchers and public safety communications specialists, and other community-level response partners. Upon completion of this course, all attendees are better able to:
- Identify critical public health & mental health emergency functions and services
- Understand agency roles and responsibilities within an existing emergency management framework
- Identify key partners in community-based disease surveillance and early warning systems
- Communicate infection control practices and procedures to protect self, family, patients and others
- Evaluate the role of local hospitals and laboratories in supporting disease prevention & control
- Know where to turn for additional information and emergency planning guidance
Course Length and Continuing Education Certification
This four-to-six hour course is adaptable to each county and designed to address local needs. A Certificate of Completion is awarded to each program participant. Course completion also fulfills 4 CE credit hours for EMTs and Paramedics.
Textbook
All participants receive copies of the training textboo: Rural Emergency Preparednes: What All Rural Responders Must Know About Public Health Emergencies.
Costs and Location
Trainings are FREE and are held on-site at designated county/regional counter-terrorism task force locations. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the participant and are not included.
Upcoming Trainings
Rural Preparedness Training Map
View map to see where trainings have taken place.
Contact
For further information or to schedule a training, contact:
Sherie Wallace
Rural Preparedness Project Coordinator
University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
300 Campus Drive
Bradford, PA 16701
Phone: 814-362-5050
Fax: 814-362-5044
Email: saw46@pitt.edu
Additional Resources
Pennsylvania Rural Health Association
National Rural Health Association
Courthouse Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies
In collaboration with the UPCPHP and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, CRHP published Courthouse Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies. This document is a planning tool for county courthouse preparedness that provides detailed steps for planning and response that can be carried out by courthouse personnel. It can be accessed by contacting the Center at 814-362-5050, and a PDF version can be downloaded from here or the CRHP Web site. A CD-ROM containing all of the planning templates and supporting materials is also included with the hard copy text.
