Northwest Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (NWPERLC)

Overview

PERLCCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds Northwest Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (NWPERLC) as one of fourteen centers across the country to develop and provide training and related activities to strengthen the ability of the United States to prepare for and respond to emergencies that affect the health of the population.

NWPERLC will build on the experience, networks and resources including 10 years as a respected and successful Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) providing training, evaluation, and technical assistance to the state, local, and tribal public health agencies and organizations of the six states of the Northwest region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming). The emergency preparedness training activities will be conducted through practice and academic networks and partnerships, with the goals of strengthening the capabilities of individual organizations and states while strengthening collaboration and joint response capabilities within the region.

Purpose

NWPERLC will develop and provide competency-based training in multiple modalities to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response, in collaboration with public health organizations in the six Northwest states. Partnership organizations include state, local, and tribal public health agencies and other organizations that are important for preparing and responding to the public health aspects of emergencies.

  • Update and revise trainings previously developed by the Northwest Center and its partner organizations, to incorporate and respond to the public health emergency preparedness core competencies, principles of adult learning, and the emerging evidence base.
  • Develop and evaluate new core competency-based emergency preparedness training to address topics identified as emerging or of high priority.
  • Strengthen and expand partnerships, collaborations, and linkages with state, local, and tribal public health departments and other organizations essential to successful public health emergency preparedness and response.
  • Work on behalf of diverse populations and communities and those with identified vulnerabilities for emergencies, including those that are Limited English Proficiency, frontier, or tribal and those who may be especially vulnerable in emergencies, to support their inclusion and participation in public health emergency preparedness and response training.
  • Collaborate with network of Preparedness and Emergency-Response Learning Centers and other relevant networks and systems to rapidly disseminate and apply the emerging evidence base from PERRCs, APCs), and other activities through the development of guidelines, training, products, and materials.

Related Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Response (OPHPR)

Association of Schools of Public Health maintains a listing of all of the Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers on their web site.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP&R) Core Competencies

PERLC Mid Year Learning Projects and Success Stories

Leadership

Susan Allan, MD, JD, MPH (Principal Investigator)
Luann D'Ambrosio, MEd (Program Coordinator)

For questions about this program, please contact Luann D'Ambrosio at ldambr@u.washington.edu.