Skip to main content

Michigan Continues to Demonstrate Positive Strides in Public Health Emergency Preparedness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2012

LANSING - The Public Health Preparedness: 2012 State-by-State Report on Laboratory, Emergency Operations Coordination, and Emergency Public Information and Warning Capabilities recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrates that Michigan is a leader in public health emergency preparedness and continues to improve Michigan's response efforts by developing, exercising, and improving emergency response capabilities.

This state-by-state report describes the trends and progress made in three of 15 public health preparedness capabilities within state and local health departments across the nation: public health laboratory testing, emergency operations coordination, and emergency public information and warning. The report shows that for all three capabilities, Michigan has met or exceeded target benchmarks in each of the three years included in the report; 2009 through 2011.

"The health and wellness of Michigan citizens is our top priority," said James K. Haveman, Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). "Our ability to protect the public's health during emergencies relies on many factors, but having the capability to rapidly and accurately detect a potential health threat, effectively coordinate our response, and quickly get critical information out to the public is crucial."

In 2011, CDC identified 15 public health preparedness capabilities as the national standard for state and local preparedness. All state and local health departments funded under the CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement - including MDCH, Michigan's 45 local health departments and 11 of Michigan's 12 federally recognized tribes - receive PHEP funding to achieve these capabilities.

"The preparedness capabilities support state and local public health departments' strategic planning efforts," said Dr. Jacqueline Scott, Director for the MDCH Office of Public Health Preparedness. "The capabilities allow us to focus our efforts on the priority areas identified within each jurisdiction."

This 2012 release is an update to the 2011 edition of the CDC report. It is the fifth preparedness report published by CDC to date, and the fourth state-by-state specific report. To view the report, please visit www.cdc.gov/phpr/pubs-links/2012/documents/2012%20State-By-State_Preparedness_Report.pdf . For more information about the MDCH Office of Public Health Preparedness, visit www.michigan.gov/ophp .

# # #