(Fredericksburg, Va.) – As local health departments nationwide strive to protect the public from infectious diseases, bioterrorism, natural disasters and other public health threats, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has recognized the Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) for its ability to respond to public health emergencies. RAHD covers all health departments in the city of Fredericksburg and counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford.
The Rappahannock Area Health District met the comprehensive preparedness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), which is a unique partnership between NACCHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We are proud to have been recognized by Project Public Health Ready for our high level of preparedness,” said Dr. Brooke Rossheim, RAHD Health Director. “We will continue to improve our ability to quickly and effectively respond to any public health crisis in the district.”
“I commend the Rappahannock Area Health District for being recognized as a model of public health emergency preparedness and joining many other Virginia Health Districts as a ‘Public Health Ready’ entity,” notes Dr. Marissa Levine, Deputy Commissioner for Public Health & Preparedness at the Virginia Department of Health. “Virginians are fortunate to have Rappahannock Area Health District and the other health districts in the state reach this level of emergency readiness. Becoming “Public Health Ready” is a testament to the community effort needed to attain such a recognition,” Levine adds.
Local health departments recognized by PPHR undergo a thorough evaluation process by peer review. PPHR required the Rappahannock Area Health District to meet expectations in public health preparedness in three key areas: 1) preparedness planning, 2) workforce competency and 3) demonstration of all-hazards readiness through exercises or a response to a real event. This recognition confirms that RAHD has an emergency response plan in place, the plan is connected to other jurisdictional emergency response plans, agency staff members are trained and the plan is exercised and used during public health emergencies.
The mission of NACCHO is to be a leader, partner, catalyst and voice for local health departments in order to ensure the conditions that promote health and equity, combat disease and improve the quality and length of all lives. For more information on all Project Public Health Ready recognized sites and project tools and resources, go to https://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/pphr.cfm.
-Unedited press release
