New center aims to enhance public health preparedness in Utah and beyond

Reports of Hurricane Milton’s battering much of Florida are doubling as frightening reminders of the importance of preparing for deadly weather and other public health threats.

Now in what’s being called a “significant step forward” in protecting Utahns and their neighbors from Milton-like health disasters, the University of Utah has secured funding to establish the Region VIII Center for Public Health Preparedness and Response.

The future center is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is designed to enhance public health preparedness across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Region VIII — which includes Utah, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, according to a University of Utah report released this week.

“This center represents a significant step forward in our ability to support public health preparedness and response efforts across the region,” said Kimberley Shoaf, a professor at the university’s public health division. “We are committed to ensuring that all communities, especially those that are underserved, have the resources and support they need to effectively manage public health emergencies.”

Last month, the CDC’s Office of Readiness and Response Division of Readiness and Response Science awarded 10 five-year cooperative agreements to one institution in each HHS region.

The regional centers are expected to be vital in delivering evidence-based strategies and interventions across communities — enhancing their abilities to prepare for and respond to public health threats, the report noted.

In addition to the core funding, the CDC is supporting efforts for tribal, rural and frontier communities to disseminate and implement tailored strategies and interventions.

By working with state, tribal, local and territorial health departments, nonprofits, universities, hospitals, and health care coalitions, the centers will strengthen the nation’s overall readiness and response capabilities, the report noted.

Housed within the university’s Rocky Mountains & Great Plains Center for Emergency Public Health, the newly funded center will execute a comprehensive plan focusing on several key areas, including:

• Emergency preparedness and response for wildfires, severe weather, and flooding.

• Coordination across agencies and community organizations using the Incident Command System.

• Enhanced communication and community engagement.

• Awareness of jurisdictional sovereignty, particularly in tribal communities.

• Financial resources and communication strategies for tribal communities.

Dr. John Barrett, a physician who chairs the university’s department of family and preventive medicine, added that establishing the center emphasizes the school’s dedication to advancing public health — while also addressing disparities in emergency preparedness and response.

“Recent extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene underscores the importance of having a coordinated and powerful national response to emergency situations,” said Barrett in the release. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners to build a more resilient public health system.”

Boosting public health in tribal, rural communities

Additionally, the center will work closely with the Public Health Preparedness and Response workforce to ensure “equitable access to resources and services, especially for underserved rural and tribal communities, as well as other vulnerable populations,” noted the release.

There are almost 600 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes recognized as sovereign entities, according to the government sponsored Rural Health Information Hub .

American Indian and Alaska Native people have long experienced poorer health than other Americans, according to the publication Indian Health Disparities . Such populations have a life expectancy that is five years less than than the national average for all races (73 years versus 78.5 years, respectively).

The Rocky Mountains and High Plains Center for Emergency Public Health will collaborate with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center at the University of Colorado’s, School of Public Health.

The total funding for this initiative is nearly $5 million over five years, with approximately $1 million specifically allocated to support tribal nations and communities, according to the release.