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Explore the effort to establish seamless cross-border public health surveillance in the Pacific Northwest. Learn about workshops, breakout sessions, obstacles identified, accomplishments, and written agreements signed to enhance regional response. Contact Wayne Turnberg for workshop summary reports.
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Tracking Infectious Disease Across Borders in the Pacific Northwest Wayne Turnberg, PhC, MSPH Washington State Department of Health
Cross-Border Workshops • Bellingham, WA – Tracking Infectious Disease Across Borders • August 9-11, 2004 • Vancouver, BC – Pandemic Influenza Preparedness • April 18-20, 2005
Goal • Establish a seamless cross-border / cross-jurisdictional public health infectious disease surveillance and response network
Target Audience • Epidemiologists • Public Health Labs • Public Health Lawyers • Hospital and Health Authorities • Risk Communicators • Emergency Managers
Charge to Participants • Build and strengthen relationships • Understand response systems across borders • Identify obstacles to a seamless response • Identify actions needed to overcome obstacles
Workshop Breakout Sessions • Discipline-specific workgroups • Multi-discipline groups (cross-pollination): • Surveillance • Infection control • Surge capacity • Risk communication • Border quarantine
Obstacles to Overcome • Legal issues • Cross-border consistency • Policies • Message • Resources • Inclusion of tribal governments
Keeping the Momentum • Establish working committees to address obstacles • Assign staff to committees • Establish workplans / timelines / deadlines • Work towards building MOUs and written agreements
Accomplishments • 24/7 emergency contact list • Electronic connectivity • BC-CDC added to CDC Epi-X electronic alerting system • Adjacent states and provinces being added to Washington state SECURES electronic health alert network • Continued cross-border communication • Surveillance plans for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler, BC • Annual cross-border workshops
Written Agreements / MOUs • Emergency Management Assistance Compact • Mutual emergency assistance between states (1996) • Pacific NW Emergency Management Arrangement (PNEMA) • AK, ID, OR, WA, BC, Yukon – April 1, 1996 • PNEMA Implementing Procedures (Annex B) • Being developed (Western Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committee)
Written Agreements / MOUs • Public Health Annex (Proposed to PNEMA) • Address public health issues • Public Health Laboratory MOU • AK, ID, OR, WA (2005) • Plans for developing an MOU with BC
Pacific NW Workshop Summary Reports2004, 2005 • Electronic copies are available by contacting:Wayne Turnberg, WA Dept of HealthTel: (206) 522-0132Email: Wayne.Turnberg@doh.wa.gov