Introduction

The Greater Nashua Public Health Region (GNPHR) is housed at the City of Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services (DPHCS) and includes two full-time staff - the Regional Public Health EP Coordinator and the Epidemiologist. Nashua DPHCS is one of two full-service local health departments inthe state of New Hampshire and includes Environmental and Community Health Departments as well as a Health Promotion Specialist and Tobacco Coordinator. The Division also houses the city's Welfare Department and Child Care Coordinator.

The focus of GNPHR is to coordinate with key stakeholders to develop comprehensive community preparedness and response plans to be abl eto effectively mitigate and respons to emergencies, including: activation and operation of mass dispensing clinics to provide medication to our population within 48 hours; mass triage and Alternate Care Sites in the event that our medical providers are overwhelmed; isolation and quarantine measures to respond to communicable disease outbreaks; mass fatality response; emergency risk communication protocols, procedures, and templates; and regional emergency coordination.

The Greater Nashua PHR subcontracts with the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center at Community Council to provide one of two Disaster Behavioral Health Team Liaisons in the State. The Liaison is responsible for recruitment and training of DBHRT members throughout Southern New Hampshire. The Disaster Behavioral Health Response Teams (DBHRT) provide disaster related services to the general public, victims, families, and first responders when local resources are overwhelmed.

The Nashua DPHCS was home to the Nashua Medical Reserve Corps until 2008 when the program applied for and was issued 501(c)3 status and changed its name to the Greater Nashua Medical Reserve Corps (GNMRC). The GNMRC covers the same population as the Greater Nashua PHR and is comprised fo regional medical and public health volunteers. These volunteers are trained to assist communities during emergencies including mass vaccination clinics and shelters. GNMRC volunteers were activated by the Greater Nashua PHR during the 2009 Influenza Season to help staff H1N1 clinics.

Service Area

The Greater Nashua Public Health Region includes the City of Nashua and the towns of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Pelham, and Wilton. The Region has a population of approximately 210,000.

Partners

Key planning partners include, but are not limited to, Emergency Management Directors, Health Officers, municipal staff, public safety, schools/school districts, colleges/universities, hospitals and medical providers, NH DHHS and Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), businesses, home health organizations, long-term care/residential facilities, and social service and volunteer agencies.

Priorities for Action

In 2005, the GNPHN conducted the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) process developed by National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The MAPP process includes a health assessment and an assessment of the public health infrastructure using the Local Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument developed by the NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This assessment process resulted in a set of priorities for action which are articulated in Greater Nashua's Public Health Improvement Plan.