Risk Communication Strategies
OPHP risk communication strategies for providing accurate, credible and timely information during emergencies across all populations.
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Plan
This plan explains the mechanisms in place to push health and safety recommendations out to the general public during any health emergency. The public will be kept up to date through regular news releases. Extensive work has established a network of Public Information Officers within the health arena for coordinating messages. The department will keep local health departments and healthcare providers abreast of the most up to date information for controlling the health emergency. OPHP maintains extensive databases of contact information for outreach partners, trusted community leaders, and statewide associations.
Michigan's Preparedness Website
The Michigan Prepares website is specifically designed to provide proactive emergency planning information for individuals, families, and businesses, marking a critical point in the state's effort to educate the public on what to do during a potential crisis. The website is continuously updated, and offers citizens the latest available information on family preparedness, chemical, biological, and radiological emergencies, natural disasters, and severe weather. The site features state resources, as well as links to other federal assets that are considered the last word for family emergency preparedness.
Outreach to Diverse Populations
The OPHP Risk Communication Team maintains the capacity to provide needed health/risk information to diverse populations in Michigan. The Public Information Coalition has built partnerships with trusted community leaders who assist with disseminating information in culturally and linguistically sensitive ways to migrant workers, refugees, underserved populations, deaf and hard of hearing persons, American-Indians, senior citizens, non-English speaking persons, homebound and homeless persons and others. The OPHP Risk Communication Team works with champion organizations to ensure maximum outreach coverage by utilizing partner newsletters, websites, e-mail lists, hotlines, face-to-face settings etc.
New Media
MDCH encourages the strategic use of social networking sites to effectively and inexpensively reach individuals with personalized and targeted health information during emergencies. MDCH currently participates in four social networking sites:
The MDCH PIO is the responsible party for updates to MDCH new media sites. Many Michigan departments use social networking resources, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Click here for a complete list of links to State of Michigan social pages. The OPHP risk communication team utilizes new media to monitor emergency events, for example, WHO and CDC Twitter accounts, FluWiki and Avian Flu Diary.
