Image credit | CDC

Public Health Preparedness Departments focus on key objectives to improve overall health security and minimize consequences during emergencies.

 

Key Objectives:

• Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease
• Protect against environmental hazards
• Prevent injuries, illness and death
• Respond to emergencies and assist in recovery

 

These objectives encompass the six preparedness domains outlined by the CDC. By strengthening capabilities in these areas organizations can be better prepared for catastrophic incidents like Hurricane Michael which brought both death and destruction to the communities in its path.

A jurisdictional vulnerability review identifies critical infrastructure like health facilities and regional healthcare resources as well as vulnerable populations including children, seniors, and individuals with special needs. 

 

 

Hazard Assessment and Analysis is a configuration of ArcGIS Pro that can be used by mitigation personnel to understand the likelihood, and impact, of an incident or event on community assets. Learn More

 

 

Having the right data is vital in public health preparedness to drive analysis, help inform decision makers, and support warning systems. However, because data comes in many forms (spreadsheets and web services to name a few) and from many sources it can quickly overwhelm. 

 

Organizations integrate this data by leveraging location to uncover patterns and communicate in a way that all stakeholders, including partners and the public, understand. By using tools like StoryMaps, Dashboards, and Public Information Maps health organizations can quickly get their message out and monitor public input.

 

The dashboard featured to the right is “hosted by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, to visualize and track reported cases in real-time."

 

In the modern era of public health emergencies, organizations should be prepared for their data and applications to go viral, resulting in significant web traffic and over a billion hits. ArcGIS Online can meet this demand by scaling instantly, without the need for additional IT resources.

 

 

It’s critical to safeguard the community’s supply of medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other supplies before, during, and after an incident. Providing and maintaining services as well as the health and safety of response staff often require real-time data.  

 

Being able to quickly assess the extent of an epidemic or single incident and communicate the severity with tools like the Opioid Epidemic Outreach ArcGIS Solution allows organizations to monitor the situation and confidently make data-driven decisions.
 

Web-based and mobile GIS tools also allow an organization to crowd-source Special Needs Requests from the public as another method to ensure proper countermeasures and mitigation plans are put in place to address citizens with specific medical needs.

 

 

Organizations may have to expand the medical services provided within the community during an incident. Location is key to planning and monitoring these services whether providing safety materials, monitoring emergency shelter capacity, reuniting families, or planning temporary medical clinics.

 

Providing tools to help both partners and citizens easily locate preparedness resources and potential hazards help ensure overall health security. 

 

Click any point in the configured "My Hazard Information" map to the right to get a list of the closest resources and potential hazards with additional details and driving directions.

 

 

Identifying health threats and taking action requires the ability to recognize patterns in space and time using different analysis tools and methods. ArcGIS provides the analytic engine to turn raw data into actionable information by leveraging its location component.

 

Spatial analysis provides the ability to detect an emerging threat or disease outbreak, model its spread and predict where its likely to happen next.

 

ArcGIS Insights is an exploratory analysis tool that turns tabular and geographic data into actionable information. It can be used for visualization, analysis, and prediction. Learn More

 

 

Organizations have traditionally combined their disparate data together in, often cluttered, web-based common operating pictures (COP). ArcGIS allows access to information using focused intuitive apps to streamline decision making and action while ensuring that everyone has access to the latest most accurate data. 

 

Configurable apps like the Situational Awareness Viewer are an example of this approach. Click the "pin" icon and enter a buffer distance under "Locate Incident" in the map to the right and then click anywhere in the map to return a tabbed list of facilities, impacted populations and assistance requests. Learn More

 

 

Every community has their own set of emergencies to prepare for and many Public Health Preparedness Departments are already leveraging the ArcGIS Platform. 
 

Organizations and communities across the United States are leveraging tools like the Esri COVID-19 ArcGIS Hub. This is a new tool in ArcGIS Online that meets the need for not just sharing data, but giving guidance on how to effectively use it. Learn More   At the Vermont Dept. of Health, users have mapped out where the most vulnerable populations are located to identify populations that need more help with response and recovery. Learn More   The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also made their authoritative Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) data available through the Esri Living Atlas so it can be easily overlaid and analyzed by any ArcGIS user. Learn More

Many Health Departments are also actively mapping and analyzing the location of health care facilities, hazards and community demographics to produce static maps to address their emergency support functions and optimally allocate resources.

Do you need guidance or assistance on how to use GIS to create and implement your public health preparedness strategy? Esri is standing-by to assist.

Enter your contact information on the Public Health Preparedness page to engage with an Esri expert. You can also download our "A Modern Approach to Public Health Preparedness" Industry Perspective or the Public Health Preparedness Esri Whitepaper to get more details about how your organization can prepare for public health emergencies.