Online Preparedness Training Program for School and Communities

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Schools are one of Los Angeles County’s most important partners when it comes to improving community health, as they are a primary resource for community information, and are also places especially prone to the spreading of disease. Tragically though, budget cuts have drastically cut down the number and will continue to limit the number of school nurses. As a result, untrained staff must frequently step in, navigating multiple sources of information, to correct misinformation and quell fear. Addressing this need, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACPDH) partnered with key school health officials to develop the Online preparedness Training Program (www.laschoolhealth.com). The OTP contains funs and informative interactive classes on five subjects deemed essential to schools and communities. Because the OTP was so well received, and due to heightened interest during H1N1, schools urged us to also develop complementary videos so that our messages could be delivered to larger groups such as parent/teacher meetings and in classrooms. These are also excellent resources for medical offices and waiting rooms. Response to the OTP has been overwhelmingly positive – even receiving an award from the International Association of emergency Managers. The OTP has proven to be a valuable tool, exceptionally useful for schools, medical groups, and even outside jurisdictions. Further, the program has greatly improved the interaction between LACDPH and its community partners as well