YNHHS News Releases

Released August 23, 2005

Yale New Haven partners with national organizations to launch preparedness month

The Yale New Haven Health Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response has joined a coalition of more than 50 national organizations to engage Americans in emergency preparedness in September National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools.

This will be the second annual National Preparedness Month. During the first National Preparedness Month, held in September 2004, a coalition of more than 80 organizations and all 56 states and territories held hundreds of events and activities across the nation. National Preparedness Month 2005 is being co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. Throughout September, these organizations will work with a wide variety of groups - including local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector - to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and promote individual involvement through events and activities across the nation.

“The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action,” said Christopher M. Cannon, MSN, MPH., director of the Yale New Haven Health Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response. “National Preparedness Month will provide Americans with a variety of opportunities to learn more about preparing for emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist threats. Events, activities, and messages across the nation will encourage individuals to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, be informed about different threats and get involved in preparing their communities.”

The Yale New Haven Health System Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) will host informational displays in each of the three Yale New Haven Health System Hospitals - Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale-New Haven Hospitals during the month, and there is information on the Health System and hospitals’ web sites. Employees, patients and visitors will learn how to prepare for emergencies both at work and at home. OEP staff will distribute “Peace of Mind” planning tools, information on the State of Connecticut Emergency Credentialing Program and emergency preparedness coloring books for children.

The Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response is a national leader in healthcare emergency preparedness and disaster response. Yale New Haven's Center has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) - the only health system-based and health care delivery-focused CPHP in the United States.

For more information on the National Preparedness Month, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response