RCHD/Community Partnership Strengthened through Emergency Preparedness Training

Ross County Health District staff and Jennifer Lagore of Chillicothe Post Acute teamed up for a Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) exercise on Thursday, February 11, that strengthened how local agencies would work together during a biological incident.

In the format of the popular Jeopardy gameshow, contestants buzzed in to answer public health emergency preparedness-related questions designed to help assess the agency’s established plans to find areas for improvement. The exercise provided real-world scenarios to clarify who does what in an emergency, how RCHD coordinates with healthcare providers and regulatory agencies, and how information would be communicated to protect the community.

“I was proud to see how effectively our team incorporated infectious disease protocols into the exercise while collaborating closely with our public health partner, Chillicothe Post Acute. This coordination strengthened communication, reinforced infection prevention practices, and enhanced our preparedness to protect the community during a public health emergency,” stated Director of Public Health Nursing, Morgan Kelley, about the exercise.

The exercise highlighted RCHD’s role in leading the public health response, giving participants a clearer understanding of RCHD’s capabilities and how to measure and improve response efforts during a mass casualty biological event.

“The specific capabilities tested during the game included community preparedness, emergency operation coordination, medical countermeasure dispensing, public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation, and volunteer management,” summarized exercise facilitator, Chris Carver (RCHD Registered Environmental Health Specialist/PHEP Coordinator).

Emergency plans, staff training, and coordination with healthcare and community partners were further strengthened in the post-exercise hotwash discussion which focused on specific action steps to improve and better protect our community when it matters most.

“This exercise was an important opportunity for us to sit down with a long-term care partner and build shared understanding around how we would handle a biological incident,” stated Health Commissioner, Janelle McManis. “By focusing on general preparedness concepts like roles, communication, and decision-making, we were able to strengthen our overall planning so we can respond quickly and effectively when our community needs us,” she concluded.