Report Shows Illinois Needs To Do More Work on H1N1 Preparedness

admin |

The report found that 20 states scored six or less out of 10 key indicators of public health emergency preparedness. Illinois was one of those states that ranked six out of 10. Trust for Americas Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)by Lesley R. Chinn

After all the work that the Illinois Department of Public Health has done in its efforts to get people prepared for the H1N1 (swine flu) epidemic, a recent report showed that the state needs to do more.

A recent report by the Trust for Americas Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed some gaps in the nations ability to respond to health emergencies and that the economic crisis is straining an already broken public health system.

The report found that 20 states scored six or less out of 10 key indicators of public health emergency preparedness. Illinois was one of those states that ranked six out of 10. While data from the TFAH and RWJF showed that Illinois has enough staff to work during emergency situations such as H1N1 and tracks diseases through an Internet system used by the Centers for Disease Control, the report found that the state does not have a public health lab with the capacity in place to assure timely pick-up and delivery of disease samples. The report also indicated a need for more licensed childcare facilities in Illinois to have a written emergency evacuation plan in place. From year-to-year, were trying to raise the bar on preparedness. Illinois has certainly done well in a number of areas, but this year, the state has fallen below the curve and there are some areas that need improvement, said Rich Hamburg, TFAH deputy director.

However, the Illinois Department of Public Health officials said they have made a continuous effort to prepare Illinois residents about the H1N1 (swine flu).

We truly appreciate the work of the Trust for Americas (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in compiling this annual report focused on indicators of emergency preparedness. We take these issues very seriously and will work hard to comply with all of their indicators in the future. There are some areas of this years report that we feel misrepresented our true capabilities. For instance, as indicated in the report, we do not have a statewide courier system---however we do have communication and delivery systems in place for timely delivery and testing of all samples 24/7. With limited resources and stretched dollars, we continue to work hard to improve our preparedness efforts to protect the health and well-being of all Illinoisans, said Kelly Jakubek, an IDPH spokesman.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.