September 21, 2010 New CDC report Indicates Louisiana is Prepared to Respond to Public Health EmergenciesLouisiana Reaches and Exceeds Targets in Preparedness Evaluation

- Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein announced today that the state received top marks in preparing to prevent, respond and recover in a public health emergency according to an annual report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening the Nation’s Emergency Response State by State, evaluated each state’s health department on a broad range of preparedness and response activities and rated Louisiana’s preparedness levels high across the board with the state scoring perfect marks on several measures.

“Louisianians have experienced more than their fair share of emergency events, particularly in recent years. From being on the front lines of the worldwide H1N1 pandemic to hurricanes and the recent BP disaster, we have learned how critical it is that we are prepared for any kind of crisis that threatens the public’s health,” Secretary Greenstein said. “Our public health staff is dedicated to this mission, but we know that being prepared isn’t just government’s role. This is a good time for all Louisiana residents to make sure they are personally prepared. Whether that’s getting a flu shot or having a game plan in case of a hurricane, being prepared is everyone’s responsibility.”

Accomplishments highlighted in the report for Louisiana include:

“I have witnessed Louisiana’s residents demonstrate incredible strength and resiliency, so it was no surprise when I learned we had earned exemplary marks on the CDC’s public health preparedness report,” said Dr. Jimmy Guidry, Louisiana State Health Officer. “We won’t stop here; Louisiana is fortunate to have a hardworking staff that is committed to serving Louisiana and its residents, and we will continue to strive for outstanding results in the future.”         

The report and state specific information on Louisiana is available on CDC’s Web site at  http://emergency.cdc.gov/publications/2010phprep.

 The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about LDH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

 For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH’s blog at http://myhealthla.org, Twitter at http://twitter.com/La_Health_Dept and search for the Louisiana Department of Health on Facebook.

 

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Surgeon General Ralph L. Abraham, M.D.

Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein

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