Patrick Gardner, RN, MPH, EMT, assistant director of the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice at the USF College of Public Health, was on the Conference Planning Committee for the 2015 Preparedness Summit April 14-17 in Atlanta.  The theme of this year’s summit was Global Health Security: Preparing a Nation for Emerging Threats.  It was hosted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and sponsored by several partner organizations, including the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.  More than 1,700 emergency preparedness professionals came together at the highly successful summit to hear about the latest research findings in the field and to learn about practical tools for planning and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and other public health emergencies.

In addition to helping organize the Preparedness Summit, Gardner also presented one of the learning sessions. His presentation, “Situational Awareness for Planning and Decision Making,” taught conference attendees about situational awareness, which is the process of collection, integration, analysis, dissemination and visualization of relevant information. The training enhanced participants’ skills in providing essential information to leadership for decision-making at all levels.

Gardner also provided guidance in planning and conducting “Ensuring Workforce Readiness in Responding to Global Health Threats: Examples of Governmental Public Health and Academia Working Together,” a partner town hall hosted by the ASPPH on April 16.  The town hall highlighted how CEPH-accredited public health schools and programs are working with governmental public health agencies and other partners to assure that the workforce is adequately prepared to respond to and prevent epidemics, particularly those that pose global health threats.

Two weeks later, Gardner presented at the 44th annual meeting of the Florida Nuclear Medicine Technologists in Orlando April 30-May 3.

Gardner’s presentation, “Protecting Healthcare Personnel: Ebola Readiness,” explained how infectious diseases such as Ebola are transmitted, and reviewed the current Ebola situation both internationally and in the U.S.  Participants learned about public health in the context of Ebola, protective measures for health care workers, and practical steps to prepare facilities to care for patients with Ebola.

Participants were able to earn continuing education credits to meet licensure requirements for nuclear medicine technologists, nuclear pharmacists, general pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

Gardner’s lecture and the question-and-answer session that followed were well-attended and well-received.

The USF College of Public Health is the academic home for the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice.