Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers: Using a Public Health Systems Approach to Improve All-Hazards Preparedness and Response

• Published in: Public health reports (1974) 2014-11, Vol.129 (6_suppl4), p.8-18
• Main Authors: Leinhos, Mary, Qari, Shoukat H., Williams-Johnson, Mildred
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advisory committees; Awards; Awards & honors; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); Civil Defense - organization & administration; Committees; Communication; Communications; Communities; Community health; Community health services; Criteria; Disaster Planning - organization & administration; Disasters; Disease control; Diseases; Documents; Emergency management; Emergency preparedness; Emergency response; Emergency services; Government agencies; Hazard identification; Health care policy; Health hazards; Health policy; Health research; Humans; Local government; Medical practice; Medicine; Multidisciplinary research; National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.) Health and Medicine Division; Organizational Objectives; OVERVIEW; Pandemics; Physicians; Prevention; Public health; Public Health - education; Public schools; Public-Private Sector Partnerships; Research centers; Research facilities; Research Support as Topic; Research tools; Reviews; Schools; Schools, Public Health - organization & administration; State government; Sustainability; Training; United States
• ISSN: 0033-3549; 1468-2877
• DOI: 10.1177/00333549141296S403

In 2008, at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) prepared a report identifying knowledge gaps in public health systems preparedness and emergency response and recommending near-term priority research areas. In accordance with the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act mandating new public health systems research for preparedness and emergency response, CDC provided competitive awards establishing nine Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs) in accredited U.S. schools of public health. The PERRCs conducted research in four IOM-recommended priority areas: (1) enhancing the usefulness of public health preparedness and response (PHPR) training, (2) creating and maintaining sustainable preparedness and response systems, (3) improving PHPR communications, and (4) identifying evaluation criteria and metrics to improve PHPR for all hazards. The PERRCs worked closely with state and local public health, community partners, and advisory committees to produce practice-relevant research findings. PERRC research has generated more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 80 practice and policy tools and recommendations with the potential to significantly enhance our nation's PHPR to all hazards and that highlight the need for further improvements in public health systems.