Keeping Communities Healthy: Planning for PH Emergencies

Local Public Health Departments have existed for decades. The Vernon County Health Department has existed since 1921. The focus of public health programming is to prevent disease and promote a healthy lifestyle for all individuals, families, and the community. In fact, State Law requires that Health Departments exist and conduct core services. A sampling of daily activities conducted though the health department includes: immunization clinics, addressing environmental health concerns, communicable disease surveillance and investigation, and community prevention education.

Public health is credited with adding 25 years to the life expectancy of people in the United States in this century. At the beginning of the 20th century, infectious diseases were widely prevalent in the United States and took an enormous toll on the population. For instance, during 1900 – 1904, there were over 48,000 cases of smallpox per year in the U.S. Today there are none because smallpox has been eradicated.

Our world today, unfortunately, is far more dangerous than in the past. A concern that fits into the realm of public health ever since the bombing of the twin towers (9-11) is the issue of “public health preparedness” a.k.a. “Bioterrorism”. A public health emergency is any event that puts the health of the community at risk. The Vernon County Health Department is part of a six county consortium assembled to increase the ability to respond to a public health emergency. The Southwest Wisconsin Public Health Preparedness and Response Consortium serves Vernon, Grant, Iowa, Crawford, Richland, and LaFayette Counties.
One main goal of the public health consortium is to maintain relationships with agencies that that will be working with public health in an emergency. Local Health Departments and community partners such as emergency government and hospitals have worked hard the past five years to plan for the safety and health of county residents in disasters or events that may happen in or affect their community. Examples of disasters public health helps in planning for include tornadoes, floods, fires or disease outbreaks (such as a flu pandemic). Preparedness plans outline what the health department will do to protect residents; however, there are also ways that residents can help us plan for emergencies. Watch for future articles to further explain the health department’s plans and how you fit into them.

For more information, contact the Vernon County Health Department at 608-637-5251

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