National Health Security Strategy

Community Engagement Meetings

2009 Bi-Regional Meetings

Locations:
Washington, DC – March 26, 2009
New Orleans – April 13, 2009
Boston - April 21, 2009
Santa Monica – April 24, 2009
Chicago – April 29, 2009

National Health Security Strategy Outreach Efforts

A comprehensive and well-integrated National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) is essential for ensuring that the public health system, in the broadest sense of the term, can function effectively when faced with a wide range of public health emergencies. Although the strategy's purview is national, its guidance has the potential to touch agencies at the local level. In addition, a diverse group of community organizations may be affected by the strategy and its implementation. To increase the chances of the NHSS's success, the perspectives of both groups – state and local governmental agencies and community stakeholder organizations – must be incorporated as the strategy is developed, refined, and translated into policy.

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has lead responsibility for coordinating stakeholder and community involvement in this process in order to develop a broad national strategy. ASPR has contracted with RAND Corporation to support all phases of the strategy’s development.  A plan has been developed for soliciting and incorporating stakeholder feedback into the NHSS.

Our strategy for involving the community in the development of the NHSS includes these major components:

Seeking stakeholder involvement via regional meetings that will include special needs populations or organizations that represent their interests; and

Engaging a core group of representatives from public health agencies, the medical community, first responder agencies (e.g., police, fire), and the public (e.g., employers, individual community members) for ongoing support throughout the development of the strategy.

Bi-Regional Meetings

We are holding meetings with key stakeholders from all of the nation's 10 disaster planning regions in five sets of bi-regional meetings. Stakeholders will have the option of participating in the meetings and offering their input by joining 'virtually' through audio and web conferencing, or by attending an in-person meeting location. The focus of the regional meetings will be on ascertaining regional specific perspectives on the Strategy and its feasibility.

For more information or to register for a meeting in your region please click on the links to each region.

Schedule: 

Washington, DC (Regions III & IV)
Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
Location: George Washington University Marvin Conference Center

Washington, DC

New Orleans, LA (Regions VI & VII)
Date: Monday, April 13
Time: 8:45 am – 12:00 pm CDT (in-person attendees)
9:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT (online attendees)
Location: Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center - University of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA

Boston, MA (Regions I & II)
Date: Tuesday, April 21
Time: 8:45 am– 12:00 pm EDT (in-person attendees)
9:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT (online attendees)
Location: American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Boston, MA

Santa Monica, CA (Regions IX & X)
Date: Friday, April 24
Time: 12:45 pm – 4:00 pm PDT (in-person attendees)
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT (online attendees)
Location: RAND Santa Monica

Santa Monica, CA

Chicago, IL (Regions V & VIII)
Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 9:45 am – 1:00 pm CDT (in-person attendees)
10:00 am – 1:00 pm CDT (online attendees)
Location: US Department of Health and Human Services

Chicago, IL

Technical Instructions for "Virtual" Attendees

Check Technical Requirements

Bi-Regional Meeting Materials

View the Agenda

Community and Technical Core Committees

In addition to the bi-regional meetings, public input on the strategy is being solicited through two expert panels – a Technical Core Committee and a Community Core Committee. Each panel consists of 15-20 persons representing a broad range of backgrounds from public health to medicine, community-based social service and health care organizations including those representing the faith-based organizations; as well as persons representing state and local governments, including those representing tribal interests.