{"id":213145,"date":"2025-04-02T11:55:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T21:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=213145"},"modified":"2025-04-02T11:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T21:55:10","slug":"public-health-emergency-preparedness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/02\/public-health-emergency-preparedness\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> joins effort to strengthen public health emergency preparedness"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

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The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health<\/a> is taking a key leadership role in a regional collaboration to strengthen public health emergency preparedness. As part of a five-year initiative, the university will focus on health risk communication, a crucial component of effective emergency response. This effort is supported by a $1 million first-year allocation<\/a> from the U.S.<\/abbr> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC<\/abbr>) as part of the Region IX<\/abbr> Pacific Southwest Center for Emergency Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Health communication is vital for strong public health in our communities and around the world in blue skies and in moments of crisis.
—Tetine Sentell<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Health communication is vital for strong public health in our communities and around the world in blue skies and in moments of crisis,” said Tetine Sentell, a faculty member in the Department of Public Health Sciences and principal investigator of the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Public Health Workforce Catalyst Lab<\/a>. “We look forward to working with our collaborators at the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Department of Health on this important project for our state and our region.”<\/p>\n

The center, which works with health departments across California, Arizona, Nevada, Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and U.S.<\/abbr>-affiliated Pacific territories, aims to improve strategies for responding to public health threats. Leading the UH<\/abbr> effort, Sentell is joined by collaborators Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health; Theresa Kreif, faculty in the Department of Social Work; and Yuka Polovina, faculty in the Department of Public Health Sciences.<\/p>\n

The center is one of ten nationwide funded by the CDC<\/abbr>\u2019s Office of Readiness and Response<\/a>, focusing on evidence-based strategies for public health emergency preparedness. Its work centers around three key areas:<\/p>\n

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