* From IDPH…
Illinois Department of Public Health Prepares for a Public Health Emergency
Next week, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will test the ability of the state public health system to receive and distribute medicine and medical supplies during a public health emergency. In the event of an emergency severe enough to cause local medical supplies to run out (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake, etc.), the State can request what is called the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The SNS is a national repository of antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, life-support medications, airway maintenance supplies, and medical/surgical items. The SNS is designed to supplement and re-supply state and local public health agencies in the event of a national emergency.
“The anthrax attacks in 2001 and the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic highlight the importance of being prepared for various health threats,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “And that preparation requires continual and coordinated efforts between all levels of government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and individuals. This exercise will allow us to identify any gaps we have in our plan to quickly distribute medicines during an emergency.”
Next week’s exercise will simulate an anthrax release. It will require the State to request the SNS from the federal government, receive packages of supplies within 12 hours of the request, break down the packages, and distribute them across the state to locations where medicine is needed. Numerous local health departments and hospitals across the state will simulate receiving the SNS supplies and dispensing medicine to people who have volunteered to act as the public coming to pick up medicine.
The State regularly conducts training and SNS deployment exercises to evaluate the strength of the SNS plan and improve various aspects as needed.
* OK, fine. They should definitely do their job.
But there’s an urgent and ongoing public health emergency that the state appears to be mostly ignoring. For instance…
A 6-year-old girl was among 11 people shot across Chicago within seven hours Monday night.
The girl was critically wounded Monday night in a shooting in the Logan Square neighborhood on the Northwest Side.
- anon - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 11:53 am:
Calling gun violence a “public health emergency” elicits instant NRA opposition.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
The more urgent emergency is getting a budget, hopefully with money for violence prevention programs.
1..2..3.. Cue the standard Rauner social service diatribe.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:16 pm:
These kinds of government responses and programs sound great but as veteran State employees flee, they become more and more difficult to pull off.
No amount of superstars can replace experienced employees who’ve been there, done that.
Of course Governor Always Successful doesn’t get it.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:19 pm:
Richs they are working in it, the GOP is gonna wall off mexico and ban muslims, then these kind of violent crimes will go away…. because otherwise they are just fear mongering and ignoring real problems at home….
But rauner will cut off these tax eaters money, that will help stop violence in socio economically deprived areas. the King of france showed us how putting the people in their place always works out well
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:31 pm:
Half of Chicago’s minority men between the ages of 20 and 24 are not working or in school. The unemployment rate for minority teens is 90%.
Meanwhile, CPD is nearly 2,000 LEO’s below their full strength. Former Supt McCarthy disbanded the saturation teams, which Supt Johnson plans to bring back.
Many of the neighborhoods where this violence is the worst have been dealing with the same schools, lack of opportunities and violence for more than a decade. No change, no reforms, no jobs, and now no funding for services due to Springfield’s lack of compromise.
- SKI - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:35 pm:
Kind of comparing apples and oranges here. Both are types of emergencies sure, but one does not fall within the IDPH job functions.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:39 pm:
===but one does not fall within the IDPH job functions. ===
Yes, it does.
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/about-ipdh
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
=== Both are types of emergencies sure, but one does not fall within the IDPH job functions. ===
If the “both” you’re talking about refers to preparedness and violence prevention, then you’re wrong. Both are IDPH programs. Funding is a lot better for preparedness due to Fed grants.
- FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
Is the National Guard part of this training exercise? They have the experience to perform such a task.
The innocent 6yr old was a victim of gang violence. She is also a victim of bad policies that do not keep repeat offenders off the street. I doubt the perpetrators have a FOID, NRA membership or even had a background check. I do speculate that they are repeat offenders who are trying to expand territory of a gang or reacting to an insult on social media.
- Juice - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:42 pm:
Rich, or you could just go straight to statute.
Sec. 2310-420. Violence and homicide; injury prevention. Straight from the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 1:09 pm:
“but one does not fall within the IDPH job functions.”
Yes it does. From the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. (Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law):
(20 ILCS 2310/2310-420) (was 20 ILCS 2310/55.74)
Sec. 2310-420. Violence and homicide; injury prevention.
(a) Utilizing existing resources, the Department may examine the impact of violence and homicide on the public health and safety of Illinois residents, especially children. Based on their findings, the Department shall, if warranted, declare violence and homicide a public health epidemic and recommend anti-violence and homicide prevention programs to the Illinois General Assembly.
(b) The Section on Injury Prevention is created within the Department. The Section on Injury Prevention is charged with coordination and expansion of prevention and control activities related to intentional and unintentional injuries. The duties of the Section on Injury Prevention may include, but may not be limited to, the following:
(1) To serve as a data coordinator and analysis source of mortality and injury statistics for other State agencies.
(2) To integrate an injury and violence prevention focus within the Department.
(3) To develop collaborative relationships with other State agencies and private and community organizations to establish programs promoting injury prevention, awareness, and education to reduce automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle injuries and interpersonal violence, including homicide, child abuse, youth violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and elderly abuse.
(4) To support the development of comprehensive community-based injury and violence prevention initiatives within municipalities of this State.
(5) To identify possible sources of funding to establish and continue programs to promote prevention of intentional and unintentional injuries.
(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 1:10 pm:
Doesn’t mean much without a budget though. But hey, winnin’, right?
- SKI - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 1:17 pm:
I stand corrected.
- Jon - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
IDPH in conjunction with ICJIA delegated many of those duties to the Illinois Violence Prevention Agency in the past, however as we know, https://capitolfax.com/2014/02/26/republican-legislators-call-for-criminal-probe-of-quinn-program/. Maybe the “taint” of the IVPA has passed and a similar program could be re-instituted, currently the GA dissolved IVPA and transferred their duties to ICJIA. The state has taken some strides to improve the communications between the various agencies providing human services, perhaps a focused effort can be made to coordinate services between state agencies, Cook County, and Chicago.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 3:51 pm:
I thought we were just using Blago’s old Canada H1N1 connection for emergencies! Super(/s).
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 6:14 pm:
As long as the violence is contained, there will be no statewide response. That is old school public health, if you can’t eradicate the disease, contain it and hope it burns itself out.
I see no will to transform the people and areas plagued by violence. Nor do I see a coherent plan of action.
The poverty industry wants to be paid to apply bandaids. That is what they know to do. And bandaids have some value. But they do not transform.
- Mama - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:00 pm:
==Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 6:14 pm:==
+1
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:17 pm:
==I see no will to transform the people and areas plagued by violence. Nor do I see a coherent plan of action==
I would think there are two kinds of poverty. The first caused by someone falling from the middle class due to sickness, addiction, family dissolution or economic downturn. The second is generational, people in poverty having children while impoverished, perpetuating the cycle. My guess is the latter is a much larger problem than the former. Government programs can help eradicate the former. But governmental programs are also largely responsible for perpetuating the latter. And society’s tolerance and subsidization for the latter is what a former poster called “The Poverty Industry”. Maybe it’s time to pay people NOT to reproduce.