Introduction

The New Hampshire Upper Valley Public Health Region (UVPHR) serves as the coordinating organization for thirteen Grafton County communities during a Public Health Emergency. This is accomplished through establishing methods and procedures to be used by a variety of all-hazards emergencies such as natural disasters, hazardous material incidents, terrorist attack, or disease pandemics.

The UVPHR takes a regional approach to public health emergency planning and response with the recognition that no single municipality has the resources to respons to a public health emergency alone. Our approach is to engage multiple communities together through planning, training, exercising, and resource sharing to be better prepared to respond to public health emergencies.

Service Area

The municipalities served by Upper Valley Public Health Network include - Canaan, Cornish, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Grantham, Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme, Orange, Orford, Piermont, and Plainfield. The total population served is approximately 42,000 people, with towns ranging from 300 to 13,000 residents.

Partners

The following agencies have representatives that sit on the Upper Valley Regional Coordinating Committee:

• Canaan Fire Department
• Dartmouth College
• Grantham School District
• Hanover Fire Department
• Hanover Health Department
• Lebanon School District
• Vermont LEPC District 12
• Town of Dorchester
• Upper Valley Medical Reserve Corps
• Genesis Lebanon Center
• Lebanon Fire Department
• Kendal at Hanover
• Enfield Police Department
• Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
• Coop Food Store
• Norwich VT Fire Department
• Veterans Hospital Hartford VT
• New England Center for Emergency Preparedness
• NH Department of Health and Human Services
• NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• NH Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team
• Town of Hanover
• Town of Plainfield
• Armistead Caregivers Services
• Lyme Fire Department
• Mascoma Valley Health Initiative
• Norwich EC
• Lebanon Health Department
• Hartford Fire Chief
• Enfield Health Department
• Grantham EMD
• Orange Health Officer
• Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
• Piermont Fast
• Town of Enfield
• Central Vermont and NH Valley Chapter, American Red Cross

Priorities for Action

• To create, update, and exervice the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response plan.
• To maintain supplies for the Upper Valley medical surge capacity.
• To be the coordinating entity for the Region during Public Health Emergencies.
• To coordinate regional, State, and Federal resources for the Region during a Public Health Emergency.