Project Public Health Ready (PPHR)
In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Project Public Health Ready (PPHR) is a criteria-based training and recognition program that assesses local health department capacity and capability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. PPHR aims to protect the public’s health and strengthen the public health infrastructure by equipping local health departments with sustainable tools to plan, train, and exercise using a continuous quality improvement model.
Since 2004, more than 500 LHDs have been recognized as meeting all the PPHR requirements individually or working collaboratively as a region. For more information about PPHR, visit the PPHR website or email pphr@naccho.org.
Program Description
Project Public Health Ready (PPHR) is a criteria-based training and recognition program created by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help local health departments (LHDs) develop core public health, emergency preparedness competencies. This intensive 18-month program provides LHDs the structure to build training and preparedness capacity using a continuous quality improvement model.
Program Objectives
The goal of the PPHR program is to help LHD become more fully integrated into the response community and to be prepared to respond to any emergency. The PPHR program offers LHDs an opportunity to (1) build partnerships with state and federal leads, community response partners and other stakeholders; and (2) facilitate collaboration and team-building across the entire health department. At the end of the program, LHDs will have a written all-hazards response plan that aligns with national and federal standards.
Vision
Local health departments will be fully integrated into the response community and prepared to respond to any emergency.
Mission
To protect the public’s health and increase the public health infrastructure by building local health department preparedness capacity and capability with assistance from state health departments using sustainable tools to plan, train, and exercise a continuous improvement model.
PPHR Criteria
To meet the PPHR criteria, participants must create and implement an all-hazards preparedness plan, complete and maintain a training needs assessment and workforce development plan, and demonstrate readiness through an exercise or a real event. The PPHR criteria are updated regularly to align with federal guidelines and national initiatives, including:
- CDC Public Health Preparedness Capabilities (PHEP)
- Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards and Measures
- Operational Readiness Review (ORR) tool
- Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
- ASPR Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) metrics.
The Criteria are divided into three (3) goals:
Goal I: All-Hazards Response Plan
Local health departments or regions must provide their all-hazards response plan as evidence for this goal. The plan must meet a number of standards, including describing the specific roles and responsibilities department or regional staff will have in a response. Some examples of sub-measures for this goal include Communications, Epidemiology, Mass Prophylaxis and Immunization, and Environmental Health.
Goal II: Workforce Capacity Development
Local Health Departments or regions must provide evidence of a training needs assessment and training plan based on this assessment. This training plan shall reflect the workforce capacity building goals within the department.
Goal III: Exercise/Real-Event
Local health departments or regions must provide evidence of an exercise they have conducted or a response to a real event they have participated in. This evidence is provided through either an after-action report or an incident action plan.
