Introduction

The Capital Area Public Health Network (CAPHN) is a coalition of muncipalities and health and human service agencies in the Concord Hospital service area working together to improve local emergency preparedness.

Service Area

The CAPHN's service area includes the City of Concord and the towns of Allenstown, Barnstead, Boscawen, Bow, Bradford, Canterbury, Chichester, Deering, Dunbarton, Epsom, Henniker, Hillsborough, Hopkinton, Loudon, Northwood, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Warner, Washington, Webster, Weare, and Windsor. The CAPHN serves the approximately 150,000 people living in these communities.

Partners

Key partners include representatives from local municipalities: EMS, Fire, Police, Health Officers, Emergency Management Directors, Welfare Directors, Town Administrators, and Selectmen. In addition, the following organizations contribute to the effort:

• American Red Cross - Concord Chapter
• Capital Region Family Health Center
• Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc.
• Community Health Institute
• Community Provider Network of Central NH
• Community Services Council of NH
• Concord Hospital
• Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association
• Dartmouth Hitchcock - Concord
• NH Bureau of Emergency Management
• NH Department of Public Health
• NH Hospital
• Riverbend Community Mental Health
• United Way of Merrimack County

Priorities for Action

Public Health Emergency Planning
The CAPHN is tasked with developing, maintaining and updating the regional ESF 8 Support Function Annex to the local emergency operations plan (EOP). This support Function Annex is designed to provide guidance for public health emergency response.

Responses to public health emergencies could include the following:

• Coordinating and collaborating resources between muncipalities and agencies.
• Opening a clinic to provide medication or vaccinations to a portion of the public.
• Supporting quarantine for a person who has been exposed to a contagious disease.
• Supporting isolation for a person who is sick from a contagious disease.
• Opening a mass care clinic for people who need care outside of the hospital setting.
• Developing a plan to deal with mass fatalities.
• Communicating with the public on how to stay healthy and safe.
  

Volunteer Recruitment
The CAPHN also coordinates a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) which is a volunteer program under the Citizens Corps.

The Medical Reserve Corps is a nationally recognized program. The state of NH has 16 MRC units- 14 of which are coordinated by the Public Health Regions.

MRC units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for a respons to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources.

MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, and epidemiologists. Many community members- interpreters, chaplains, office workers, legal advisors, and others- can fill key support positions.

What you can do to prepare
Your town and region are working to prepare in the event of an emergency. There are also steps you can take to prepare your family. Please visit the Capital Area Public Health Network website for information on how to prepare you and your family.