Public Health Commons^™

The Historic Role Of Boards Of Health In Local Innovation: New York City’S Soda Portion Case, Lawrence O. Gostin, Belinda H. Reeve, Marice Ashe

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Childhood and adult obesity pose major risks for cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, with the poor and racial minorities suffering from disproportionately high burdens of obesity and chronic disease. With current policies failing, cities and states have moved forward with creative prevention measures–-with boards of health driving policy innovation in many local jurisdictions. The New York City Board of Board of Health’s (NYCBH) soda portion limit pushed the boundaries of innovation, but was struck down on June 26, 2014 by New York State’s highest court, which held that the Board trespassed on the City Council’s authority.

The Court’s decision ignored …

Virus Sharing, Genetic Sequencing, And Global Health Security, Lawrence O. Gostin, Alexandra Phelan, Michael A. Stoto, John D. Kraemer, K. Srinath Reddy

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework was a milestone global agreement designed to promote the international sharing of biological samples to develop vaccines, while that ensuring poorer countries would have access to those vaccines. Since the PIP Framework was negotiated, scientists have developed the capacity to use genetic sequencing data (GSD) to develop synthetic viruses rapidly for product development of life-saving technologies in a time-sensitive global emergency—threatening to unravel the Framework. Access to GSD may also have major implications for biosecurity, biosafety, and intellectual property (IP).

By rendering the physical transfer of viruses antiquated, GSD may also undermine the …

Physicians' Attitudes About Recommending Surgery For Early Stage Lung Cancer And Possible Reasons For Racial Disparities, Franklin R. Mcguire

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

PHYSICIANS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT RECOMMENDING SURGERY FOR EARLY STAGE LUNG CANCER AND POSSIBLE REASONS FOR RACIAL DISPARITIES

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Patient refusal for lung cancer surgery is significant, but other factors, such as negative framing of the treatment discussion, may be involved. Physician attitudes could influence the nuances of and therefore the conclusions of these discussions. We determined physicians’ attitudes and the influence it has on possible decisions against lung cancer surgery, particularly surgical rates for blacks, using a companion survey.

Methods: The study is a prospective, multicenter observational trial conducted at five sites in North and South Carolina from December …

Ebola: Towards An International Health Systems Fund, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The current outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa is spiraling out of control, but it never had to happen. What can the international community do now to bring the epidemic under control, and how can we prevent the next one?

The counties most affected by Ebola (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone), rank among the lowest in global development, lacking essential public health infrastructure. If the affected countries had adequate public health systems, they probably would have contained Ebola within rural settings, avoiding the first outbreak in major urban areas.

More than 130 health workers have died from …

Grant Application: Homeless Needs Assessment Project, Annarae Andresen, Oana Butnarasu, Jayme Keith, Sarah Kou, Dana Mccoy, Stephanie Sheehan, Jessica Takatsuki, Ian Imbert, Zoe Hull, Tara Lonneman, Marissa Prezanno, Suzanne Dunn

Homeless Needs Assessment

IPEC Mini-grant application for funding of UNE student project Homeless Needs Assessment. The Homeless Needs Assessment Project was designed to assess the greatest needs for people experiencing homelessness in Portland, Maine. UNE Students from several healthcare professions partnered together to provide a holistic approach to the community needs with hopes of developing and implementing intervention strategies. Goal was to conduct surveys of at least 100 homeless individuals.

Community Health Centers: A 2012 Profile And Spotlight On Implications Of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

In 2012 nearly 1,200 federally funded community health centers were providing access to care for a predominantly low-income population in medically underserved areas across the country. As health insurance coverage expands under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the demand for primary care increases, the role of health centers is likely to increase, and the ACA’s large investment in the health center program provides new resources to help meet growing needs.

This brief provides a pre-ACA snapshot of health centers that can help in understanding the impact of state decisions about the ACA Medicaid expansion on health centers as health …

Health Insurance Benefits Advisors: Understanding Responsibilities, Regulations, Restrictions And The Relevance To Implementing The Affordable Care Act, Alexandra M. Stewart, Marisa A. Cox, Leighton Ku

Health Policy and Management Issue Briefs

This brief describes the operational differences among six different types of benefits advisors including: 1) Commercial agents and brokers, 2) Medicaid enrollment brokers, 3) navigators, 4) non-navigator assistance personnel (or in-person assisters), 5) certified applications assisters, and 6) health center outreach and enrollment assistance workers. We will address: 1) the role of each benefits advisor 2) the health plans with which benefits advisors are authorized to work 3) training requirements, 4) compensation 5) conflict of interest requirements, and 6) the impact benefits advisors have on consumer enrollment decisions.

A Qualitative Examination About Providers’ Perceptions And Recommendations Regarding The Role Of Public Librarians In Addressing Communities’ Health Literacy., Van Ta Park, Lili Luo, Denise Rosidi

Faculty Publications

We assessed health care providers’ perspectives on libraries as a source of health information and elicited input on how to adequately prepare public librarians to provide health information services. Sample text-based reference transactions were shown to determine whether they think the health inquiries were adequately answered. Results showed that participants had favorable perspectives about public libraries, and thought that the public librarians’ role includes addressing the health literacy community needs. Participants provided recommendations for public librarians to improve health literacy. To enhance the ability of public librarians to meet the health literacy needs of their communities, diverse perspectives such as …

Pattern Of Household Drug Storage, Retno Gitawati

Kesmas

Household storage of pharmaceutical is world-widely practice, including in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to obtain the pattern of medicine storage, the sources and reasons of medicine kept in households. Acrosssectional survey was conducted on October 2011, involving 250 adult household respondents, randomly selected from three subdistricts in North Jakarta, and have approved the written consents, and interviewed with structured questionnaire. Data were performed in univariate and bivariate analysis with chi square test. The majority of household (82%) stored drugs at home; analgesic-antipyretic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory was the type of drugs kept by mostly (76.1%) of household. Out of …

Family Role Towards Smoking Behaviour Among Children In Jakarta, Wahyu Septiono, Dan Wolf Meyrowitsch

Kesmas

In Indonesia, the prevalence of smoking among 5 – 9 years old children has increased from 0.4% in 2001 to 2% in 2007. Among present adults smokers (>20 years), 17% started to smoke before the age of 13 years. This study identified factors related to smoking behaviour among 8 – 12 years old children in Jakarta, Indonesia using a questionnaire based cross sectional survey to obtain smoking status and possible predictors towards smoking habit. The total sample size was 1,097 students among 3rd - 7th grade students from schools in Jakarta. Self-reported smoking status was defined as whether the …

Asupan Karbohidrat Sebagai Faktor Dominan Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kadar Gula Darah Puasa, Aprilya Roza Werdani, Triyanti Triyanti

Kesmas

Peningkatan kadar gula darah memicu peningkatan produksi hormon insulin yang erat hubungannya dengan diabetes melitus. Berdasarkan data Riskesdas, prevalensi diabetes melitus di Indonesia meningkat dari 1,1% (2007) menjadi 2,1% (2013). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor dominan yang berhubungan dengan kadar gula darah puasa pegawai pemberdayaan masyarakat & keluarga dan pegawai sekretariat daerah Kota Depok. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah potong lintang dan melibatkan 105 sampel. Variabel independen penelitian meliputi karakteristik individu, asupan zat gizi, hipertensi, aktivitas fisik, status gizi dan pengetahuan gizi. Analisis data yang dilakukan adalah analisis univariat, analisis bivariat menggunakan uji korelasi dan uji beda dua mean, …

Asupan Vitamin D Rendah Dan Keparahan Demam Berdarah Dengue Pada Anak Usia 1-14 Tahun, Nur Siyam, Siswanto Agus Wilopo, Mohammad Hakimi

Kesmas

Demam berdarah dengue (DBD) menimbulkan syok dan kematian. Penderita DBD di Yogyakarta sebagian besar usia 1 - 12 tahun dengan DBD parah. Asupan vitamin D rendah diasumsikan penyebab DBD parah. Asumsi ini perlu dibuktikan dengan menganalisis pengaruh asupan Vitamin D dan keparahan DBD. Rancangan penelitian adalah studi kasus kontrol. Penelitian di bangsal rawat inap anak dan instalasi catatan medik RS Jogja dan RSUP Dr. Sardjito. Kasus adalah anak usia 1 - 14 tahun dengan DBD grade III & IV, kontrolnya DBD grade I & II. Data asupan vitamin D diambil dengan food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Variabel luar adalah indeks massa …

Optimalisasi Sistem Pelayanan Kesehatan Berjenjang Pada Program Kartu Jakarta Sehat, Fachmi Idris

Kesmas

Peningkatan jumlah kunjungan pasien ke rumah sakit pada awal masa pemberlakuan program Kartu Jakarta Sehat (KJS) disebabkan belum optimalnya sistem pelayanan kesehatan berjenjang. PT Asuransi Kesehatan (PT Askes) bersama Dinas Kesehatan DKI Jakarta melakukan berbagai upaya dalam bentuk paket intervensi untuk mengoptimalkan sistem tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi efektivitas paket intervensi PT Askes dan Dinas Kesehatan DKI Jakarta dalam meningkatkan optimilisasi sistem rujukan pelayanan kesehatan. Penelitian ini menggunakan survei potong lintang dengan metode pengambilan sampel acak pada puskesmas di DKI Jakarta terhadap hasil intervensi PT Askes. Hasil intervensi diukur melalui wawancara pada kepala puskesmas atau petugas yang mewakili. Data …

Penelitian Genom Dan Implikasinya Dalam Kesehatan Masyarakat Di Indonesia, Doni Hikmat Ramdhan

Kesmas

Penelitian genom yang mengkaji kaitan antara setiap gen dengan suatu penyakit sekaligus mekanismenya untuk mendapatkan pengetahuan yang menyeluruh dalam pengobatan, telah membawa perubahan besar dunia kedokteran dalam mengobati berbagai penyakit. Namun demikian, penelitian genom seharusnya tidak hanya dimanfaatkan untuk pengobatan tetapi juga untuk pencegahan penyakit. Artikel ini membahas masalah kesehatan masyarakat dan peluang pemanfaatan penelitian genom dalam pencegahan penyakit. Penelitian genom yang dapat dimanfaatkan pada bidang kesehatan masyarakat adalah toksikogenomik dan nutrigenomik. Penelitian toksikogenomik mengkaji respons gen akibat pajanan toksikan yang berdampak pada kesehatan manusia. Penelitian nutrigenomik mengkaji respons gen terhadap makanan yang berdampak pada kesehatan manusia. Penelitian toksikogenomik dan …

Pengaruh Pendekatan Child Healthcare Modeldan Transtheoretical Model Terhadap Asupan Makan Anak Overweight Dan Obesitas, Kadek Ayu Erika, Elly Nurachmah

Kesmas

Overweight dan obesitas pada anak merupakan suatu masalah yang kompleks disebabkan multifaktor, yaitu interaksi genetik dan lingkungan. Gaya hidup perkotaan dipicu oleh asupan makanan yang berlebih pada anak overweight dan obesitas. Strategi untuk menurunkan asupan makan berlebih pada anak adalah dengan pendekatan child healthcare model dan transtheoretical model sehingga dapat mengendalikan gaya hidup anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan membuktikan pengaruh pendekatan child healthcare dan transtheoretical model terhadap asupan karbohidrat anak overweight dan obesitas. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di wilayah kecamatan Biringkanaya dan Tamalanrea, Makassar, pada bulan Agustus 2013 sampai Maret 2014. Desain yang digunakan adalah quasy experiment yaitu pretest and posttest with …

Tingkat Pengetahuan Dan Persepsi Terhadap Shisha Pada Mahasiswa, Dhimas Nirwana Yudha, Yayi Suryo Prabandari, Purwanta Purwanta

Kesmas

Isu yang berkembang terkait pengetahuan dan persepsi seorang calon tenaga kesehatan memengaruhi keberhasilan pelayanan kesehatan dalam menjawab tantangan di masyarakat nantinya. Shisha (rokok dari Timur Tengah) mulai marak di Yogyakarta. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk memperoleh gambaran tentang tingkat pengetahuan dan persepsi terhadap shisha pada mahasiswa reguler tahap akademik Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Gadjah Mada. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif menggunakan rancangan potong lintang. Sampel penelitian adalah mahasiswa dari tiga program studi yang dilakukan pada bulan September - Oktober 2013. Jumlah responden sebanyak 72 mahasiswa ilmu keperawatan, 74 mahasiswa gizi dan kesehatan dan 258 mahasiswa pendidikan dokter. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan kuesioner. …

Diagnosis Dini Tuberkulosis Pada Kontak Serumah Dengan Penderita Tuberkulosis Paru Melalui Deteksi Kadar Ifn-Γ, Sri Andarini Indreswari, Suharyo Suharyo

Kesmas

Tuberkulosis paru masih merupakan masalah dunia. Indonesia menempati peringkat ke tiga di dunia pada tahun 2012. Target nasional Case Detection Rate tahun 2012 adalah 70%, sedangkan pencapaian Jawa Tengah sebesar 58,48%. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh batas kadar interferon (IFN) γ pada orang kontak serumah dengan penderita tuberkulosis paru sebagai dasar diagnosis dini penyakit tuberkulosis. Penelitian dilakukan secara kohort selama dua tahun (2011 - 2013) di Balai Kesehatan Masyarakat Paru Semarang. Pada akhir penelitian, terdapat 12 responden kontak dan 13 tidak kontak serumah. Uji Wilcoxon menunjukkan perbedaan bermakna rerata kadar IFN-γ antara kelompok kontak dengan kelompok tidak kontak serumah (nilai …

Peningkatan Determinan Sosial Dalam Menurunkan Kejadian Tuberkulosis Paru, Dyah Wulan Sumekar Rengganis Wardani

Kesmas

Upaya pengendalian tuberkulosis paru oleh World Health Organization telah meningkatkan angka kesembuhan dan menyelamatkan banyak jiwa, tetapi kurang berhasil dalam menurunkan insiden tuberkulosis. Oleh karena itu, pengendalian tuberkulosis akan lebih menekankan pada kebijakan determinan sosial karena determinan sosial secara langsung maupun melalui faktor risiko tuberkulosis berpengaruh terhadap tuberkulosis. Di Bandar Lampung, angka notifikasi tuberkulosis dari tahun 2009 – 2010 mengalami peningkatan walaupun angka kesembuhan sudah lebih dari 85%. Bandar Lampung juga merupakan bagian dari salah satu provinsi termiskin di Indonesia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh determinan sosial (yang diukur melalui indikator pendidikan, pendapatan dan kelas sosial) terhadap kejadian tuberkulosis. …

Pertumbuhan Dan Perkembangan Anak Usia 3-24 Bulan Di Daerah Konflik, Hastuti Usman, Hadyana Sukandar, Ma’Mun Sutisna

Kesmas

Lima tahun pertama adalah masa penting dalam proses tumbuh kembang anak. Anak lahir dan tinggal di daerah rawan bencana (bencana alam, perang, atau konflik bersenjata) berisiko mengalami kegagalan pertumbuhan dan keterlambatan perkembangan. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengukur perbedaan pertumbuhan dan perkembangan anak usia 3 - 24 bulan antara yang tinggal di daerah konflik dan bukan konflik dan menganalisis korelasi tempat tinggal daerah konflik dengan pertumbuhan serta perkembangan anak usia 3 - 24 bulan. Metode penelitian secara potong lintang dilakukan di Kabupaten Poso periode Februari - Maret 2014 terhadap 40 anak usia 3 - 24 bulan di daerah konflik dan bukan konflik. …

Malnutrisi Akut Berat Dan Determinannya Pada Balita Di Wilayah Rural Dan Urban, Titih Huriah, Laksono Trisnantoro, Fitri Haryanti, Madarina Julia

Kesmas

Malnutrisi akut berat merupakan malnutrisi yang paling serius yang memengaruhi balita dan merupakan masalah kesehatan utama di negara-negara berkembang. Malnutrisi telah meluas baik di perkotaan maupun perdesaan. Akar permasalahan malnutrisi di negara berkembang salah satunya adalah faktor sosial demografi. Tujuan penelitian untuk melihat perbedaan kejadian malnutrisi dan determinannya di area perkotaan dan pedesaan di Yogyakarta. Penelitian menggunakan desain potong lintang dengan responden adalah semua balita malnutrisi akut berat di Kabupaten Sleman (23 balita) dan Kota Yogyakarta (33 balita). Analisis data menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan inferensial. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada Bulan Desember 2012 - Februari 2013. Prevalensi balita malnutrisi akut lebih banyak …

Pendapatan Daerah, Pembiayaan Kesehatan, Dan Gizi Buruk Pada Balita: Studi Korelasi Tingkat Kabupaten/Kota, Septyana Choirunisa, Asri C. Adisasmita

Kesmas

Pendanaan kesehatan merupakan salah satu faktor penting dalam memengaruhi derajat kesehatan, termasuk salah satu masalah gizi pada balita yang disebut gizi buruk. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan pendapatan daerah dan pembiayaan kesehatan serta korelasinya dengan gizi buruk pada balita di tingkat kabupaten/kota di Indonesia tahun 2007. Penelitian ini merupakan studi ekologi/korelasi. Data pendapatan daerah dan pembiayaan kesehatan didapat dari Kementerian Keuangan, sedangkan data gizi buruk menggunakan data Riset Kesehatan Nasional tahun 2007. Sebanyak 250 kabupaten/kota yang diteliti dengan tidak mengikutsertakan kabupaten/kota yang datanya tidak lengkap atau tidak valid. Secara nasional, hanya persentase pendapatan asli daerah (PAD) per total …

Evaluasi Pelaksanaan Konseling Menyusui, Ika Murtiyarini, Dewi Marhaeni Diah Herawati, Irvan Afriandi

Kesmas

Salah satu upaya pemerintah dalam meningkatkan pemberian ASI di Indonesia adalah dengan memberikan konseling menyusui di pelayanan kesehatan. Penelitian perlu dilakukan untuk mengevaluasi pelaksanaan konseling menyusui di Kota Jambi dengan mengeksplorasi komponen input, activity, output, dan outcome. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif menggunakan strategi studi kasus. Penelitian dilakukan di empat puskesmas Kota Jambi pada bulan Desember 2013 sampai dengan Februari 2014. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan studi dokumen, observasi pelaksanaan konseling menyusui dan sarana prasarana, wawancara mendalam, serta focus group discussion. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah analisis tematik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa komponen input dan activity kurang optimal seperti kurangnya sumber …

Fertilitas Remaja Di Indonesia, Mugia Bayu Raharja

Kesmas

Fertilitas remaja merupakan isu penting dari segi kesehatan dan sosial karena berhubungan dengan tingkat morbiditas serta mortalitas ibu dan anak. Tujuan penelitian adalah mempelajari faktor-faktor yang memengaruhi fertilitas remaja di Indonesia. Data yang digunakan adalah hasil Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan Indonesia tahun 2012 dengan unit analisis wanita usia subur yang termasuk dalam kategori usia remaja (15 - 19 tahun). Jumlah sampel sebanyak 6.927 responden. Analisis dilakukan dengan metode deskriptif dan inferensial menggunakan model regresi logistik biner. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa satu dari sepuluh remaja wanita tersebut pernah melahirkan dan atau sedang hamil saat survei dilakukan; sebesar 95,2% dari remaja yang …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Rethinking Aids Website, Jennifer Dettmann

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

A group of scientists known as the Group for Scientific Reappraisal of the HIV-AIDS hypothesis created a web site title, Rethinking AIDS. The group behind the web site argues that AIDS is not a sexually transmitted disease. They even question the existence of the virus entity. My analysis is driven by the critical question: Does the web site construct a reality that affectively alters our perception of HIV-AIDS? In order to answer this question, Goodnight and Poulakos 1981 article, Conspiracy rhetoric: from pragmatism to fantasy to public discourse (Western Journal of Speech), will be utilized.

At Risk For Ptsd: The Public Health Implications Of Trauma, Madeline Peyton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The fieldwork experience is the summation of six semesters of graduate level public health training. At commencement, students are to be proficient in basic data analysis and epidemiological principles, in how environmental risks impact health, and demonstrate strong program planning, evaluation and leadership skills. Throughout, students are encouraged to focus their academic work on an area of public health that interest them and on a problem that they hope to impact in their professional work. I continued in an area I began as an undergraduate student of medical anthropology and explored the systems that interact to influence mental health of …

County Of San Mateo Adolescent Report 2014-2015 Youth And Adults Working Together For A Healthy Future, Vanessa D. Bolton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to highlight my fieldwork experience with the County of San Mateo Health System’s Health Policy and Planning Unit. Under the guidance of a Community Health Planner, my scope of work was within the area of school wellness, ranging from an adolescent report publication to researching breakfast in the classroom models to attending district wellness policy meetings. The San Mateo County Adolescent Report took precedence over most of the school wellness projects and initiatives because it was seeking to identify the needs of the County’s youth using evidence from various data sources and to develop …

Racial Disparities In Access To Community Water Supply Service In Wake County, North Carolina, Jacqueline Macdonald Gibson, Nicholas Defelice, Daniel Sebastian, Hannah Leker

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Anecdotal evidence suggests that historically African American communities on the fringes of cities and towns in North Carolina have been systematically denied access to municipal drinking water service. This paper presents the first statistical analysis of the role of race in determining water access in these fringe areas, known as extraterritorial jurisdictions. Using publicly available property tax data, we quantified the percentage of residences with municipal water service in each census block in Wake County (the second-largest by population in North Carolina). Using the resulting water service maps plus 2010 U.S. Census data, we employed a logistic regression to assess …

Economies Of Scale And Scope In Public Health: An Analysis Of Food Hygiene Services Provided By Local Health Departments In Florida, Simone Singh, Patrick M. Bernet

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Local health departments (LHDs) across the United States deliver a range of essential public health services, yet little is known about the costs that LHDs incur in providing these services and the factors that may cause costs to vary both within and across health departments. This report first describes the variations in the costs of one core public health activity commonly provided by LHDs: food hygiene services. It then analyzes the factors that drive LHDs' cost of service provision focusing on the role of economies of scale and economies of scope. Using data for all LHDs in Florida for 2008 …

Editorial Comment: Temporal Trends In Preparedness Capacity, Gulzar H. Shah

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

In view of the critical role local health departments (LHDs) play among agencies responsible for responding to natural and man-made emergencies, Bevc et al. examined the LHDs’ emergency preparedness and capacity. They compared LHDs in North Carolina with those across the country for preparedness along eight domains. Significant declines in emergency preparedness were noted from 2010 to 2012 for five out of eight domains, raising questions about our national priority concerning this important function of public health agencies. These findings have numerous implications, some of which are covered in this commentary.

Temporal Trends In Local Public Health Preparedness Capacity, Christine A. Bevc, Mary V. Davis, Anna P. Schenck

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Local health departments (LHDs) are essential to emergency preparedness and response activities. Since 2005, LHD resources for preparedness, including personnel, are declining in the face of continuing gaps and variation in the performance of preparedness activities. The effect of these funding decreases on LHD preparedness performance is not well understood. This study examines the performance of preparedness capacities among NC LHDs and a matched national comparison group of LHDs over three years. We observe significant decreases in five of eight preparedness domains from three years of survey data collected from 2010 through 2012. Most notably, we observe significant decreases in …